Criminal Case Against Arthur Vanetsyan Dropped

The National Security Service (NSS) has dropped the criminal case against Arthur Vanetsyan. This concerns the case alleging that he prepared an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister of Armenia. After a year, the preliminary investigation body realized that making unfounded accusations would not lead to any results. This was reported by the newspaper 'Zhoghovurd'.

On November 15, 2020, the NSS announced that it had brought charges against opposition figures Arthur Vanetsyan, Vahram Baghdasaryan, and commander of the 'Sisakan' group, Ashot Minasyan. As a result, Armenian Revolutionary Federation member and artist Ashot Avagyan was arrested on charges of illegally preparing actions to deprive the Prime Minister of his life with the intent of stopping his activities and appropriating powers of the Government of the Republic of Armenia in manners not envisaged by the Constitution.

Former NSS director and leader of the 'I Have Honor' faction, Arthur Vanetsyan, was accused of preparing for the usurpation of power and assassination of the Prime Minister. Lawyer Lusine Sahakyan had deemed the accusations illegal at that time.

The NSS had released a recording of a phone conversation in which, according to law enforcement, the defendants in this case, former members of the ruling Republican Party's executive body and council, Vahram Baghdasaryan, ARF member Ashot Avagyan, and commander Ashot Minasyan discuss the usage and purpose of seized weapons. And now, a year later, it has been proven that such a thing was not prepared.