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The Court of Appeals has approved on Wednesday the appeal of attorneys against the decision of the first instance court to remand the owner of the Fifth Channel Armen Tavadyan in custody. The decision was made by presiding judge Alexander Azaryan. It is expected that Tavadyan will be released from custody in the coming hours.

To remind, Armenia’s Special Investigation Service (SIS) arrested Tavadyan in December on suspicion of seeking false testimony in favour of Armenia’s jailed former President Robert Kocharyan. At the motion filed by the prosecutors, the Court chose arrest as detention measure for him. Later number of media organisations and the journalists of the Fifth Channel issued a statement, insisting the criminal prosecution against the owner of opposition TV channel resembled an act of political vendetta against the businessman for his personal relationships.

The statement said that the arrest of the owner of a TV company was a ‘disgraceful example of phycological and financial pressure exerted on the Fifth Channel.”