YEREVAN. Dec 25 (Interfax) - The Special Investigation Service of Armenia has received a reply from Russia, confirming that former Armenian Defense Minister Mikael Harutyunyan, who has been charged with overthrowing the constitutional system during the events in 2008 and has been declared wanted in the CIS countries, has Russian citizenship, the service's press secretary Marina Ohanjanyan told reporters on Tuesday.
"We have received a reply that Harutyunyan is a citizen of Russia. An additional inquiry has been forwarded to clarify the date when Harutyunyan was granted Russian citizenship," Ohanjanyan said.
Armenia's Special Investigation Service earlier asked Moscow to look into the circumstances surrounding Harutyunyan's receipt of Russian citizenship.
Harutyunyan has been charged with overthrowing the constitutional system during the events of March 1, 2008, in which ten people were killed and more than 250 others injured in clashes between law enforcement agencies and demonstrators protesting against the official outcome of a presidential election, won by Serzh Sargsyan.
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, who has been arrested, and former Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Yury Khachaturov have been charged as part of the same case.
Armenia's police told Interfax earlier they had been notified that Harutyunyan had been removed from the wanted list in Russian territory.
An informed source told Interfax in August that Yerevan had officially requested Harutyunyan's extradition from Moscow.
"There has been a preliminary decision to decline the request, given that Mikael Harutyunyan was naturalized by Russia in 2002," the source said.
"The Constitution prohibits Russian citizens from being extradited to third countries, including on criminal counts," the source said.