MUSEUM OFFICER DETAINED IN ARMENIA
Regnum
March 25 2008
Russia
Deputy director of the Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts
(the Matenadaran) Arshak Banuchyan has been detained in Armenia. As
REGNUM correspondent was informed at the first Armenian president
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s headquarters, Banuchyan is suspected of actions
prosecuted by articles 225 (public disorder) and 225 (1) (violating
public event order) of Armenia’s Criminal Code.
A source at Ter-Petrosyan’s office also said that on March 25,
Lavrent Khachatryan was brought to a Malatia-Sebastia community police
station. According to his relatives’ account, Khachatryan witnessed
how a police car hit a crowd of protesters in the afternoon of March
1. The police at the station has not confirmed that Khachatryan is
at their station.
To remind, Special Investigation Service has initiated criminal action
with respect to disorders and clashes between opposition headed
by ex-president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan and law-enforcement
agencies on March 1, 2008.
As of March 19, 106 people have been arrested. Most of them are
Ter-Petrosyan’s associates and comrades, including chairman of
political council of the Armenian National Movement Party Ararat
Zurabyan, member of political council of the "Republic" Party Suren
Surenyants, former deputy Prosecutor General Gagik Jangiryan who had
joined Ter-Petrosyan, parliament deputies Sasun Mikaelyan, Myasnik
Malkhasyan, Hakob Hakobyan, and others.