‘Taron Chakhoyan Must Be Questioned’: What Chalabyan's Defenders Are Claiming

Member of the ‘Consolidation’ movement and opposition public-political figure Avetik Chalabyan's defender Varazdat Harutyunyan submitted a motion to terminate the criminal case. Harutyunyan stated that the basis for the criminal prosecution of Chalabyan was a fabricated audio recording published in a ‘fake’ government-affiliated media outlet.

Moreover, according to the defender, investigators ignored the motion to summon Taron Chakhoyan for questioning. Chakhoyan holds the position of Deputy Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister's Office and, according to some sources, oversees the operations of ‘Medianews’, where the scandalous recording about Chalabyan was aired. It is on the basis of this edited recording that a criminal case was initiated against Chalabyan.

As Harutyunyan stated during the court session, the defense maintains that the recording was manufactured and edited to ‘neutralize’ Chalabyan and discredit the opposition movement.

Recall that Avetik Chalabyan was arrested on suspicion of materially incentivizing the chairman of the student council. According to the investigative bodies, the purpose of the material inducement was to ensure the participation of students from the Armenian National Agrarian University in opposition protests.

A criminal case has been initiated in the heavy crimes investigation division of the Yerevan investigative department based on Article 163, Part 3, Clause 2 of the Armenian Criminal Code (coercing participation in rallies or demonstrations through violence or the threat of violence).

On May 14, he was detained for two months, which was later extended by an additional 15 days. He was released from the ‘Armavir’ penitentiary in the evening of July 27.