Interfax, Russia
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 24, 2008 Sunday 7:44 PM MSK

Armenian authorities confirm New Times leader held

YEREVAN Feb 24

The Armenian National Security Service has confirmed the detention of
Aram Karapetian, the leader of the New Times party.

Reports that officers of the National Security Service have detained
Karapetian are true, service’s spokesman Artsvin Bagramian told
Interfax.

It was reported earlier that according to eyewitnesses, several
masked people forced Karapetian and his entourage into cars with
license plates of the Armenian National Security Service on Erebuni
Street in Yerevan at about 3.30 local time and drove away in an
unknown direction, the press secretary of Petrosian’s campaign Arman
Musinian told Interfax on Sunday. The kidnappers also beat up
Karapetian’s bodyguards with clubs, he added.

The New Times party endorsed Ter-Petrosian in the Armenian
presidential election of February 19. Karapetian has also been head
many times making appeals to the public to overthrow the regime at
opposition rallies.