Investigators ask to extend Levon Airapetyan's home arrest

Investigators have sent a petition to the Moscow Basmanny Court asking to extend the home arrest of Levon Airapetyan, a businessmen and a member of the Armenian Diaspora in the Russian Federation, the court press secretary said on December 8.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Levon Airapetyan was detained on July 15 at a Moscow Airport. On July 17, by a court ruling he was put in custody for two months. On October 3, the businessman was transferred to home arrest.

"The court has received a petition from investigators asking to extend Airapetyan's home arrest. The court will consider the petition on December 10," Anna Fadeeva, the representative of the court, said on December 8, as quoted by the RAPSI.

According to investigators, in April 2009 Airapetyan was involved in the sale of the state-owned stake of "Bashneft". Subsequently, the stake was arrested. Airapetyan himself refuses to plead guilty and denies the accusations.

Airapetyan's detention has caused a great resonance in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, where, as the "Caucasian Knot" has reported, they organized collection of signatures to the petition demanding his release. The parliament and government of Nagorno-Karabakh spoke in support of Airapetyan.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.