Police detained ASALA fighter Hampig Sassounian during anti-government protests in Yerevan on Thursday, human rights activist Ruben Melikyan said on Facebook.

"’Patriotic’ police have detained Sassounian. They are loudly applauded by the Civil Contract faction and the whole Turkish people. It's okay, he served 40 years in prison for the sake of his homeland, he'll hold out for another three hours," the lawyer sneered.

Opposition Hayastan faction MP Aram Vardevanyan also took to Facebook to denounce Sassounian’s detention, highlighting that it has been long sought by the Turks.

Hampig Sassounian, who was convicted in 1984 for shooting dead Turkish Consul General to Los Angeles Kemal Arikan and was granted parole after almost 40 years, arrived in Armenia in October 2021.