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LAWYER CONFIDENT OF JAILED OPPOSITIONIST'S RELEASE
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
May 9 2007
The defense lawyer of Aleksandr Arzumanian claimed on Wednesday that
the Armenian authorities lack the evidence to prosecute the former
foreign minister on charges of politically motivated money laundering
and will set him free later this week.
Arzumanian, who leads a small opposition group campaigning for regime
change in Armenia, was detained late Monday for allegedly receiving
cash from a fugitive Russian-Armenian businessman who is at loggerheads
with the government in Yerevan.
The arrest, condemned by the country's leading opposition forces, is
part of a criminal investigation conducted by the National Security
Service (NSS) under an article of the Criminal Code dealing with
attempts to "legalize revenues obtained by criminal means." The NSS
has to formally charge Arzumanian under that article or release him
from jail by Thursday night.
"I don't think they will petition the court to allow his arrest,"
the oppositionist's lawyer, Hovik Arsenian, told RFE/RL. "I think
they will not charge him for the time being because they need time to
conduct an in-depth investigation. They have yet to determine whether
the sum [confiscated in Arzumanian's apartment] was earned by illicit
means and, if so, whether their recipient knew that."
According to NSS spokesman Artsvi Baghramian, the feared security
agency will decide whether or not to press charges against
the prominent member of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian's
administration on Thursday.
The NSS searched the Yerevan apartments of Arzumanian and another
leader of his Civic Resistance Movement, Vahan Shirkhanian, on
Saturday, finding and confiscating about $85,000 worth of cash. The
security agency says it was part of a $180,000 payment transferred to
the two opposition politicians by Levon Markos, a Russian businessman
of Armenian descent who is wanted by the Armenian authorities on
fraud charges which he claims are trumped-up. An NSS statement on
Monday said Markos is pursuing unspecified "goals" in Armenia on the
eve of its parliamentary elections.
Both Shirkhanian, who has not been taken into NSS custody, and
Arzumanian deny receiving any donations from the little-known
entrepreneur. Arzumanian claims the $55,400 found in his home is
royalties from his writings and speeches.
Arsenian would not be drawn on the origin of the money. "Even if
there were wire transfers [to Arzumanian,] they were not necessarily
illegal," he said. "You can't base a criminal case on presumptions."
Arsenian also confirmed that his client has refused to answer any
questions from his interrogators. "He has stated that he regards his
arrest as a political order and believes that he is being prosecuted
illegally," the lawyer said.
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
May 9 2007
The defense lawyer of Aleksandr Arzumanian claimed on Wednesday that
the Armenian authorities lack the evidence to prosecute the former
foreign minister on charges of politically motivated money laundering
and will set him free later this week.
Arzumanian, who leads a small opposition group campaigning for regime
change in Armenia, was detained late Monday for allegedly receiving
cash from a fugitive Russian-Armenian businessman who is at loggerheads
with the government in Yerevan.
The arrest, condemned by the country's leading opposition forces, is
part of a criminal investigation conducted by the National Security
Service (NSS) under an article of the Criminal Code dealing with
attempts to "legalize revenues obtained by criminal means." The NSS
has to formally charge Arzumanian under that article or release him
from jail by Thursday night.
"I don't think they will petition the court to allow his arrest,"
the oppositionist's lawyer, Hovik Arsenian, told RFE/RL. "I think
they will not charge him for the time being because they need time to
conduct an in-depth investigation. They have yet to determine whether
the sum [confiscated in Arzumanian's apartment] was earned by illicit
means and, if so, whether their recipient knew that."
According to NSS spokesman Artsvi Baghramian, the feared security
agency will decide whether or not to press charges against
the prominent member of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian's
administration on Thursday.
The NSS searched the Yerevan apartments of Arzumanian and another
leader of his Civic Resistance Movement, Vahan Shirkhanian, on
Saturday, finding and confiscating about $85,000 worth of cash. The
security agency says it was part of a $180,000 payment transferred to
the two opposition politicians by Levon Markos, a Russian businessman
of Armenian descent who is wanted by the Armenian authorities on
fraud charges which he claims are trumped-up. An NSS statement on
Monday said Markos is pursuing unspecified "goals" in Armenia on the
eve of its parliamentary elections.
Both Shirkhanian, who has not been taken into NSS custody, and
Arzumanian deny receiving any donations from the little-known
entrepreneur. Arzumanian claims the $55,400 found in his home is
royalties from his writings and speeches.
Arsenian would not be drawn on the origin of the money. "Even if
there were wire transfers [to Arzumanian,] they were not necessarily
illegal," he said. "You can't base a criminal case on presumptions."
Arsenian also confirmed that his client has refused to answer any
questions from his interrogators. "He has stated that he regards his
arrest as a political order and believes that he is being prosecuted
illegally," the lawyer said.