Ruben Vardanyan and Samvel Karapetyan Arrested on the Same Charges: Vardevanyan

Lawyer Aram Vardevanyan writes: "Ruben Hakobyan's arrest should be lifted if there is a minimal connection to the law."

"Political figure Ruben Hakobyan was arrested on the same charges as Samvel Karapetyan and Mikayel Srbazyan. That is, under a criminal case based on Article 422 of the Criminal Code. This article is of medium severity, and in such cases, individuals are not simply arrested due to predicted risks, as the punishment for such actions may just be a fine. Generally, under democratic principles, people are NOT ARRESTED for expressing opinions or criticism, and criminal proceedings aren't initiated for that; I do not rule out that even in Somalia, individuals are no longer arrested for this reason. Therefore, Hakobyan's arrest should naturally be lifted if there is a minimal connection to the law, which the Court has indeed ensured," wrote lawyer Aram Vardevanyan.