An Armenian court has extended the pre-trial arrest of public and political figure Avetik Chalabyan by 15 days, his lawyer Varazdat Harutyunyan said on Sunday.

The lawyer denounced judge Arusyak Aleksanyan’s decision as “unlawful”.

“Avetik Chalabyan is a political hostage of the current authorities, while the courts fulfil their orders,” he wrote on Facebook.

Chalabyan was arrested on May 12 for allegedly trying to pay students of the Armenian National Agrarian University to participate in anti-government protests in Yerevan. He has denied the charges as politically motivated.