HEAD OF GUARD AND DRIVER OF “NEW TIMES” OPPOSITIONAL PARTY LEADER
TAKEN TO ARMENIA’S NSS
Yerevan, April 21. ArmInfo. The Head of the guard and the driver of
the “New Times” oppositional party leader Aram Karapetyan were taken
today to the National Security Service of Armenia in handcuffs.
As Aram Karapetyan told ArmInfo, today at 12:55 PM, 12 masked people
by three cars of “VAZ-2106” mark blocked the path of the “New Times”
party’s two cars of “GAZ-3110” mark near the Erebuni Community’s
Police department. According to Karapetyan, the people in masks aimed
their submachine guns at him and his assistants, then with shouts “we
shall shoot, go out of cars”, they roughly pulled the driver and the
Head of Karapetyan’s personal guard out of car, beat them on heads and
laid them on the asphalt by face down. The driver harmed his leg. Then
they took off their gas guns, “put into handcuffs”, made them change
their cars and drove away in an unknown direction. Several people sat
down in both “GAZ-3110” cars of the “New Times” party and also drove
away. According to Karapetyan, he reached his office by taxi. He told
that he had immediately contacted the deputy Head of the RA Police,
lieutenant-general Hovhannes Varyan, who allowed Karapetyan’s officers
to hold gas guns, but he informed that the Police bears no relation to
today’s action. Later, Karapetyan clarified that his driver and the
Head of the Guard are taken to the Armenia’s National Security
Service.
The Head of the Armenian NSS’s press-office Artsvin Baghramyan
confirmed in the talk with the ArmInfo correspondent that the
apprehendede persons are in the NSS. According to him, the officers of
the NSS acted according to the law, thus, responding the incoming
signals, according to which “the “NT” party members walk about the
city with guns”. “We shall clarify where the arms are from. If their
documents are OK, the apprehended persons will be surely set free”,
Baghramyan said.