Prominent Russian mathematician Mikhail Verbitsky was arrested in Armenia last week during a trip to attend a high school graduation. Russia is seeking his extradition on charges of inciting terrorism after opening a criminal case tied to his criticism of the
The news traveled through the math community fast enough to feel like an alarm bell. In recent days, word spread that prominent Russian mathematician Mikhail Verbitsky had been arrested by Armenian authorities. The shock wasn’t just about detention. It was about timing—about what was supposed to be a quiet family moment and a professional visit.
Verbitsky had been in Armenia to attend a high school graduation, according to a Facebook post from his daughter. Instead, international reports said he was taken into custody last week, with the situation becoming widely known over the weekend.
Russia has asked Armenia to send him back. The case in Russia targets Verbitsky with charges of inciting terrorism, a demand framed by Moscow as part of its broader response to his political activity and writing.
At the center of the dispute is the way Verbitsky has used public platforms. He is known for his work in complex geometry—explaining how mathematicians study alien. multidimensional shapes—and for an outspoken political blog. Russia opened a criminal case against him in response to his harsh criticism of the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. and accused him of inciting terrorist attacks.
The personal and professional stakes are hard to separate. Since 2017, Verbitsky has been a professor at Brazil’s Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA). His arrest reverberated beyond one institution, landing in the wider math world already strained by the war’s impact. That strain has been visible in the discipline’s own decisions since 2022. when organizers of the discipline’s largest conference canceled a plan to hold the meeting in Saint Petersburg.
Once the arrest became public, mathematicians moved quickly. Word of Verbitsky’s detention spread throughout the math community over the weekend, and a number of top mathematicians signed petitions demanding his immediate release.
The response also reached professional societies. Yesterday, the French Mathematical Society posted an official statement calling on Armenian authorities to refuse Russia’s request for extradition.
That pressure appears to be having an effect, at least for now. Reports emerged today that Armenian authorities have at least temporarily freed Verbitsky and are not complying with Russia’s demand, though no official details are available.
The sequence has a blunt logic: a family trip in Armenia turns into detention; Russia’s extradition request is met with petitions and direct statements from the scientific community; and now. amid that attention. Verbitsky is reported to be temporarily out. Each fact may sit in a different place on the timeline. but together they show how quickly a case involving people’s freedom can become a test of political choices—and of what international scientific networks will do when they believe a colleague is in danger.
Mikhail Verbitsky Armenia Russia extradition terrorism charges complex geometry IMPA French Mathematical Society Ukraine invasion mathematics community petitions
So Russia wants to extradite a mathematician… for what, like math terrorism? lol
I don’t get how you “incite terrorism” just because he criticized something. Sounds like they’ll call anything terrorism if it’s embarrassing.
Freeing him is good but Armenia still played along for a bit, so idk how to feel. Also wasn’t he in Armenia for a graduation? Like that’s the wild part to me, just grab a guy at a family thing and then pretend it’s normal.
This is probably bigger than math… I saw on a group chat that he was arrested because of some geometry “alien shapes” video or whatever and I was like what does that even mean. If he was criticizing Russia and they called it inciting terrorism, then yeah that seems like Russia being Russia. Glad he got freed though, even if the whole extradition attempt is still messed up.