Attorneys: Political persecution being carried out against Artur Vanetsyan and Ishkhan Saghatelyan
The attorneys of Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Body representative Ishkhan Saghatelyan and the leader of Homeland party Artur Vanetsyan have issued a statement in connection with the arrest of their clients.
The lawyers remind that number of public and political figures, Vanetsyan and Saghatelyan among them, have been detained over violating the temporary restrictions imposed during the martial law.
"The administrative protocols filled with respect to the two politicians contain no reference to the exact deed constituting an offense. Furthermore, the protocols do not detail which action is regarded as 'threat to public', not to mention about the 'serious consequences' of it," lawyers Lusine Sahakyan and Yervand Varosyan said.
It is reminded that Artur Vanetsyan was invited to the National Security Service for questioning as a witness in the framework of a different criminal proceedings. Following the questioning, Vanetsyan left the NSS building and talked to reporters outside the NSS, where he again voiced demands for the resignation of Pashinyan.
After the statements, the leader of Homeland party was contacted by a NSS representative and invited to the building again, where he was arrested. "Ishkhan Saghatelyan has not been invited to the investigation body in line with the established procedure, instead was taken to NSS from the place of his political activity, the ARF Office," the authors of the statement said.
"It is obvious that a blatant political persecution is carried out against Artur Vanetsyan and Ishkhan Saghatelyan and they are held in custody illegally. Motions challenging the legality of their arrest has been submitted to for court consideration," the statement said.
The attorneys also point to another notable fact that the politicians have been arrested for three days and the release date ends when actions envisaged by PM Pashinyan's capitulation deal start implementation.