The staff at Izmirlyan Medical Center issued a statement on Saturday, demanding  the immediate release of the Director of the medical center, Professor Armen Charchyan. The latter was detained by Police on Friday, a move, opposition described as a political persecution. Charchyan, who heads Izmirlyan Medical Center and is a candidate for MP from the "Armenia" bloc, was arrested for allegedly forcing his employees to take part in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections and to vote for the "Armenia" alliance.

"We deem the actions of the law enforcement as unacceptable against a person who worked through nights and days during the first and the recent 44-day Artsakh wars, operating and saving numerous injured soldiers, a man,  who personally organised and coordinated the uninterrupted work of the medical brigades of the Izmirlyan medical Center in Armenia's and Artsakh hospitals. We demand the immediate release of Professor Charchyan and rule out the unlawful behavior of persecuting people for expressing their civic position," the statement said. 

The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction will examine appeal for Armen Charchyan's preventive measure today.