FREE ANDRE KHACHATOORIAN
In 2021, American citizen Andre Khachatoorian needed to access medication in checked luggage while traveling to Armenia from California via Moscow to visit his wife’s family for the holidays. His luggage also contained a legal, safely stowed firearm with all of the necessary paperwork and permissions for the international trip. Andre had gone to extensive lengths to follow every law and rule and get all the proper documentation, which the airline confirmed one last time before departure. When law enforcement just happened to notice the locked firearm case, he was interrogated, tricked into applying for a Russian visa, and removed from the airport. At that point, he was at the mercy of the Russian justice system.
Andre Has Been Imprisoned For
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Who is Andre?
Andre Khachatoorian is a 38-year-old American citizen who lives in Tujunga, CA, a part of Los Angeles. He was a high school athlete and has been active in sports his entire life, including coaching high school football and basketball. Andre is the oldest of three brothers. He started working in his family’s plumbing company in 2014, trying to save money to eventually support a family. Andre’s father’s business is now 35 years old, and all three of his sons work there.
Andre is of Armenian descent but was born in Denmark, came to the US when he was two years old, and has been a US citizen since 2008 when he was 22 years old. In August 2021, he married Tatevik Ghazaryan, an Armenian citizen. On Christmas Day 2021, Andre flew from Los Angeles to vacation with his wife and her family in Yerevan, Armenia, as they awaited her visa so they could start their life together in California.
What Happened?
Andre’s paperwork was sent ahead to Moscow with the flight passenger manifest. When he landed, he needed access to some medication that was in his checked luggage. He asked the airline to retrieve it for him. As they watched him open the luggage, they saw the locked firearm case. He was then interrogated by Russian law enforcement about the pistol. Andre’s native language is English, and he also speaks Armenian, but he does not speak Russian. He was tricked by a Russian policeman into signing a document that granted him a visa, we believe because he was told he needed to go with the Russian policeman to answer more questions. He then left the in-transit portion of the airport with the policeman. As soon as he did, he was arrested and charged with arms trafficking.
On February 23, 2023, Andre was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison.
Andre’s Arrest Is A Complete Departure From International Norms
"A person may stay in a transit zone indefinitely. A state has no jurisdiction over that area. Anyone in a transit zone enjoys immunity like a foreign diplomat: He or she cannot be arrested, interrogated, or otherwise be restricted in freedom. If the state believes a person violates this country's law or poses a security threat, deportation may be considered, but only to the country of his or her citizenship.”
Eugeny Varshavsky
Former Head of The Russian Federal Migration Service’s Department for Legal Support
Indication of Political Manipulation
Extending the laws of a nation to a person in transit who has not entered the jurisdiction of the transit nation is a violation of the travel norms that govern international commercial air transport. While it initially appeared that this case might be resolved with a fine that allowed Andre to leave Russia, it is notable that the judge who had been presiding over Andre’s case since his arrest was switched out with Judge Anna Sotnikova immediately prior to Andre being convicted and sentenced. Sotnikova was the judge who convicted and sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner in a case that Russian officials were clearly manipulating for political reasons.