In Armenia, four out of seven detained oppositional activists arrested, three – released

The court session, finished in Yerevan on August 12 in the late evening, ruled to release on recognizance not to leave three oppositional activists arrested on August 9. The court announced the pre-trial restriction in regard to the other four activists – they would remain under custody.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that on August 9 in the evening seven young activists of the oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC) were detained in the centre of Yerevan. The detention was caused by a hassle with the law enforcement agents. The activists' lawyers claim that the policemen hindered their activities at the police station.

Upon the expiry of 72 hours from detention of seven young activists of the ANC, stipulated by the legislation, the Court of General Jurisdiction of the Yerevan communities of Centre-Nork-Marash decided to release from the courtroom on recognizance not to leave Areg Gevorkyan, David Kirimidjyan, and Saak Muradyan.
The court applied arrest as the pre-trial restriction in regard to the other four detainees.

In particular, Tigran Arakelyan faced a charge under the basis of Articles of the Criminal Code: "hooliganism", "applying of dangerous and non-dangerous violence against a power representative." Artak Karapetyan was accused of applying violence, non-dangerous to life and health, against a power representative. Sarkis Gevorkyan and Vaagn Gevorkyanov face charges of hooliganism.
The Armenian National Congress issued a statement announcing that it would fight for the release of all arrested activists of the ANC.