Protest in support of Armen Ashotyan held outside Yerevan court
A protest in support of opposition politician Armen Ashotyan was held outside the Anti-Corruption Court in Yerevan on Monday as the court continued heating a motion to extend Ashotyan’s arrest.
Ashotyan, the deputy head of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), was arrested on 16 June on charges of abuse of power and money laundering strongly denied by him as politically motivated.
RPA politician Eduard Sharmazanov accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of controlling Armenian courts and ordering Ashotyan’s arrest.
“Armen Ashotyan will be set free if Nikol Pashinyan wishes. Even Kennedy’s assassination can be pinned on Armen Ashotyan if Pashinyan orders it. Our goal is to communicate to Armenian society, and our political opponents the message that Armen Ashotyan is a political prisoner,” he told reporters.