Freedom fighter unable to know reason for his arrest (video)
Aghasy Martirosyan, arrested on suspicion of aiding a criminal gang that was in Yerevan in November 2015, has been released after spending four months in custody. Mr Martirosyan says he has been waiting for his release every day. “I expected that I shall be acquitted four months ago because I was sure that they had nothing against me. Until today they have not proved my connection with the criminal gang,” he told A1+. The freedom fighter started 25-day hunger strike in prison demanding the prison authorities not to violate his rights and to stop the illegal investigation. “I simply wanted to understand why I was arrested. I wanted them to present grounds for my arrest.” Aghasy Martirosyan was set free after giving a written cognizance not to leave the city. “The period of detention was extended twice. But the National Security Service decided not to request for extension for a third time because there were no grounds for his detention,” Liana Balyan, the lawyer of Aghasy Martirosyan, told A1+. The lawyer is going to file a petition asking to discontinue the criminal case against her client. On November 25, 2015, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) said that it had uncovered a criminal gang in Yerevan that was planning to carry out a series of serious crimes in Armenia. The NSS said that the group was led by Artour Vardanyan, a citizen of Armenia living overseas, who had arrived in Armenia earlier in 2015. The NSS added it had raided the house where the group was hiding and arrested nine individuals including Vardanyan.
