Armenia parliament ex-chief of staff arrested, court upholds National Security Service investigator’s motion

News.am, Armenia
Feb 21 2021

The Yerevan court of general jurisdiction today ruled to arrest former chief of staff of the National Assembly of Armenia Ara Saghatelyan who was detained under the criminal case regarding the fake “Gagik Soghomonyan” Facebook user account.

In an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am, Saghatelyan’s attorney Hakob Yenokyan informed that the court had declared the motion of the investigator of the National Security Service (NSS) on detention of Saghatelyan unlawful and satisfied the attorney’s appeal, as well as upheld the motion of the investigator of the NSS to choose arrest as a pre-trial measure for him.

The NSS has detained former chief of staff of the National Security Service Ara Saghatelyan, co-founder of Quartet Media Karen Bekaryan, office manager of the International Center for Development of Parliamentarism NGO Mher Avagyan and citizen Aram Sargsyan, who was arrested upon a court decision today.

Today the court ruled to arrest Aram Sargsyan and released Mher Avagyan.

They are detained under the elements of particular articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia (inciting national, racial or religious hatred; an organized group making public calls for use of violence, publicly justifying or advocating violence; violating the rules for publication or dissemination of information during the legal regime of martial law).