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Russia puts former former Ukrainian Interior Minister on wanted list

The Russian Interior Ministry’s database does not specify under which article Arsen Avakov is wanted

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/. Former Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov (included by Russia's Federal Service for Financial Monitoring in the list of terrorists and extremists) has been declared wanted under an article of the Russian Criminal Code, according to the Russian Interior Ministry’s database.

"Arsen Borisovich Avakov. Wanted under the article of the [Russian] Criminal Code," the database said, not specifying under which article he is wanted.

In 2018, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Avakov for obstructing the free exercise of the right to vote by Russian citizens in the presidential election. According to investigators, Avakov instructed Ukrainian Interior Ministry officials, who provided security for Russian diplomatic missions in Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa and Lvov, not to allow Russians to enter polling stations.

Avakov served as Ukraine's interior minister from 2014 to 2021.

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