Armenian security body questions opposition members – politician

Arminfo
5 May 07

Yerevan, 5 May: A search was conducted to bring preliminary charges at
the apartments and offices of the Armenian former foreign minister,
Alik Arzumanyan, and former minister for territorial administration,
Vaan Shirhanyan, who are members of the opposition Alternativ
movement. They are charged with money laundering they had accumulated
during their tenure, Aram Karapetyan, leader of the opposition New
Times Party [NTP], told our correspondent.

He said that Shirhanyan was taken to the National Security Council
where he was questioned until 2400 hours. Karapetyan said that the
conduct of such forced actions on Saturday is the start of putting
pressure on the opposition forces who managed to gather 10,000-strong
people at a rally on Freedom Square in the centre of Yerevan.

"This is an attempt of soft pressure on opposition since the
authorities cannot directly put pressure on us and therefore they put
pressure on our entourage," he said. The law-enforcement agencies
abstained from commenting on the case.

[Passage omitted: covered details]