No Abduction Occurred: $650,000 Was Not Ransom but Lost Funds Intended for Transfer

As it is known, on July 22, a Russian citizen was abducted from a restaurant in Yerevan, taken to Tsaghkadzor, and a ransom of $650,000 was demanded from their relatives. We have learned some details.

In reality, the $650,000 was not ransom but instead 'lost' money that the Russian citizen had intended to transfer to another country but did not do so. The source assures that, in fact, no abduction took place.

We contacted the Investigative Committee to inquire whether the detained individuals had been released and the case closed. Committee spokesperson Gohar Abrahamyan replied: 'Two individuals were detained; however, they were released due to the lack of grounds for their continued detention. At this moment, no evidence has been obtained regarding abduction or armed threats, and, moreover, information has been received that contradicts such claims.'

This was reported by the newspaper Hraparak.