Lawyer: Teen Artsakh protester's arrest aimed at creating 'climate of fear'
Samvel Mirzoyan, a 16-year-old native of Artsakh who was arrested following his participation in anti-government protests in Yerevan in September, is part of a large fatherless family. His mother has a second-degree disability. Samvel and his sister also have health issues.
In a statement on Friday, Armenia’s Investigative Committee said 46 protesters were charged with participating in “mass unrests” in Yerevan. 28 of them remain under arrest pending investigation.
Opposition MPs have called the arrested protesters "political prisoners" and demanded their immediate release.
A first instance court in Yerevan cited witness tampering concerns when it ordered Mirzoyan’s pre-trial detention last week.
Calling the arrest “unlawful”, his lawyer, Abgar Poghosyan, told Panorama.am on Saturday that the decision had been challenged in a higher court.
“The arrest was largely aimed at creating a climate of fear. The concerns that a minor may somehow influence the investigation are groundless,” the lawyer claimed.
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