Stepan Mikayelyan, a member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) of Armenia, has been summoned to the Investigative Committee as a witness for questioning within the framework of the criminal proceedings on the audio recording publicized by former SJC chairman Ruben Vardazaryan. Vardan Tadevosyan, press secretary of the Investigative Committee, told Armenian News-NEWS.am about this.
To note, Mikayelyan was present at the meeting between Vardazaryan and Gagik Jhangiryan, the now former member and acting chairman of the SJC, the audio recording of which has been made public.
The press secretary of the Investigative Committee, however, did not say whether Jhangiryan was questioned as well.
Ruben Vardazaryan was questioned by the Investigative Committee, but he refused to present the full version of the aforesaid audio recording to the investigator.
During a press conference on June 20, Ruben Vardazaryan publicized a controversial audio recording of a conversation between him, Gagik Jhangiryan, and Stepan Mikayelyan—and which had taken place on February 20, 2021. In that recording, Jhangiryan was attempting to "persuade" Vardazaryan to step down as chairman of the SJC.
And based on the aforesaid recording, the Investigative Committee of Armenia launched criminal proceedings.