New charges leveled against Sasna Dzrer group members
The lawyer of three opposition gunmen, who seized a police station in Yerevan’s Erebuni district in July, says new charges have been leveled against her clients. “Pavel Manukyan, Armen Lambaryan and Mkhitar Avetisyan are now charged with extortion of weapons, ammunition or explosives (Article 238) and destruction or damage of property (Article 185),” lawyer Inessa Petrosyan told journalists today. She added that another 12 members of Sasna Dzrer group face the same charges. The lawyer says they have filed a motion to extend the detention of her clients. When asked about the opinion of the Sasna Dzrer members about the new charges, Inessa Petrosyan said ‘they do not accept the charges against them.’ Sasna Dzrer group seized a police compound in Yerevan’s Erebuni district on July 17 with a demand of Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation and the release of Zhirayr Sefilyan, the jailed leader of the Founding Parliament opposition movement. They surrendered to the Armenian authorities after two-week standoff with the country’s security forces.
