Armenian court rejects request for renewed detention of opposition activist
The Armenian Criminal Court of Appeals on Thursday rejected the prosecutors’ request for the renewed detention of opposition activist Vazgen Saghatelyan, upholding a lower court ruling to release him and his fellow activist Narek Samsonyan.
“Vazgen will remain at liberty,” his lawyer Arsen Babayan wrote on Facebook.
The activists, who co-host the Imnemnimi podcast, were released on 21 May, two months after being detained on charges of “hooliganism” for using slur language to criticize Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government.
Judge Arman Hovhannisyan of the Avan District Criminal Court ordered their release, but banned them from hosting the Imnemnimi podcast or other programs for three months.
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