Raffi Hovannisian: Arrest Of Levon Hayrapetyan Is Politically Motiva

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: ARREST OF LEVON HAYRAPETYAN IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

Friday, July 18, 15:45

The arrest of Armenian businessman Levon Hayrapetyan is politically
motivated, the leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian told
journalists on Friday.

He called Hayrapetyan a patriot and advised waiting to see how the
investigation will end. He believes that it is not a coincidence that
Hayrapetyan has been arrested now that Armenia is facing the choice
between own freedom and more specific ties with its strategic partners.

Hovannisian does not agree with Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik
Abrahamyan who said that Hayrapetyan’s case has nothing to do with
Armenia’s policy. He believes that the arrest is politically motivated
and the Armenian authorities must react to it if they have dignity.

To remind, the Russian special services have detained one of the
richest Armenian businessmen in the world Levon Hayrapetyan on
suspicion of being privy to the notorious “Kingisep” criminal group.

According to Rosbalt, Hayrapetyan was detained on Tuesday upon arriving
in Moscow from his home in Monaco. Shortly the investigators are
planning to petition the Basmanny Court to arrest the businessman.

They are currently investigating the case of Sergey-Finagin’s
“Kingisepp” group, which together with Alexander Matusov’s “Schelkovo”
gang, is believed to have done a number of contract killings first
for businessman Georgy Safiyev (killed in the United States) and then
for former Senator Igor Izmestyev (who is now in jail for life). And
it was Izmestyev who said that Levon Hayrapetyan was privy to some of
the killings, particularly, those related to the Bashneft oil company.

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