Armenia releases IMPA researcher Mikhail Verbitskiy
The mathematician had been detained on Thursday (the 15th) at Russia’s request
Armenian authorities released Mikhail Verbitskiy, a researcher at IMPA (Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics), on Monday (the 15th). The Russian mathematician had been detained on Thursday (11) at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, based on a Russian wanted list citing allegations of a political nature.
The news of his release was confirmed by Verbitskiy’s family. The mathematician remains in Armenia, and there are still no details regarding his return to Brazil.
An internationally renowned researcher who has made fundamental contributions to complex geometry and hyperkähler manifolds, Verbitskiy has been a member of the IMPA faculty since 2017. In Brazil, he plays a vital role in training new scientists and advancing cutting-edge mathematical research.
IMPA extends its gratitude to the Brazilian and international scientific communities and to the Brazilian government, which have shown solidarity and brought attention to the call for the mathematician’s release, and will continue to monitor the situation until Verbitskiy returns to Brazil.
The Institute reiterates that freedom of expression and the free exercise of thought are non-negotiable pillars of scientific progress.
