‘CCTV Cameras Will Confirm What I Said’: Varagyan on Mkrtchyan's Order to Detain Individual

Public figure Vahagn Varagyan made a post on his Facebook page addressing his announcement from yesterday, in which he stated that Arthur Mkrtchyan, the chairman of the first instance general jurisdiction court of Yerevan, had given a direct instruction to detain Aram Sargsyan in a well-known fake account case.

The post is presented below:

“Following my Facebook post about Arthur Mkrtchyan, the chairman of the first instance general jurisdiction court of Yerevan, various human rights defenders and journalists have directed questions to me regarding yesterday's incident.

With full responsibility and a clear understanding of the grave nature of the crime being discussed, I assert that between 22:00 and 23:00, at the Triumph café located on Isahakyan Street, Arthur Mkrtchyan was shouting into his agitated phone: ‘What does it matter that he has three minor children and the law doesn’t allow for his imprisonment; the head of the NSS was insulted, do whatever you want, they must be locked up.’

Arthur Mkrtchyan's presence at the Triumph café during that time and his loud phone conversations while moving from table to table can be confirmed not only by my friends, who were with me, but also by the CCTV cameras installed at the café.

Furthermore, it is sufficient to check which individual was detained by the first instance general jurisdiction court of Yerevan after 22:00 yesterday and has three minor children; it will become clear who was unlawfully imprisoned at the direct instruction of Arthur Mkrtchyan.

I am ready to be questioned by any investigative body regarding these facts. At the same time, I ask that my Facebook post be regarded as a report of a crime.”