Armenian security service says ombudsman office employee’s arrest lawful
Arminfo
30 May 05
Yerevan, 30 May: The Armenian National Security Service [NSS] has
issued a statement to explain the circumstances of the arrest of
an employee of the ombudsman office of the Republic of Armenia,
Serob Antinyan.
Some media outlets in Armenia circulated a statement on 28 May by
Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan in which she expressed protest at
the acts of NSS officers who arrested the employee of the ombudsman’s
office, Serob Antinyan, and confiscated his computer, a source in
the press service of the NSS told Arminfo. Alaverdyan regarded the
arrest as an attempt to censor the activities of the ombudsman and
to study classified documents.
In this regard, the press service of the NSS finds it necessary to
explain that Antinyan’s apprehension and all the related actions were
carried out in accordance with the Criminal Code of Armenia, while the
mentioned computer was impounded in the presence of Antinyan himself
and his lawyer Zh. Khachatryan. Only the documents concerning his
case were impounded and the computer was returned to the ombudsman’s
office immediately. It is necessary to note that the fuss kicked
up in this regard is unfounded since, like all government bodies,
the ombudsman’s office is also to abide by Armenian laws and the
principle of equality of all before the law enshrined in the Armenian
Constitution. The ombudsman’s office cannot be given any privilege
in these circumstances, the statement said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress