ArmInfo. Defense of Karo Yeghnukyan, an arrested member of the Founding Parliament opposition movement, offers $1 million bail for him, Tigran Hayrapetyan, the arrestee's lawyer, told a news conference on October 5.
The lawyer insists that the charges have been absurd from the very beginning, since no member of Sasna Tsrer group is charged with seizure of hostages and buildings, while Yeghnukyan is charged with aiding the seizure.
Karo Yeghnukyan's brother, Grigor, says his brother is not allowed to contact his family even by phone. "It is nothing but private vengeance against Karo," the arrestee's brother said. The Defense says various international organizations such as FIDH, Policy Forum Armenia, Armenian Bar Association, came out in support of Yeghnukyan's release.
"The Embassy of U.S. in Armenia (Yeghnukyan is a U.S. citizen) expressed concern over his long-term preliminary arrest," Grigor Yeghnukyan said.
Lawyer Tigran Hayrapetyan, in turn, said the U.S. Embassy has made a request to attend the next session of the court to get first hand view of the situation.
To note, Yeghnukyan spread a statement on August 19 from the isolation ward of National Security Service in which he considers that the criminal case initiated against him is framed up. He was detained on July 20 after his flat was searched. On July 22 National Security Service filed a charge under Article 218 Part 3 (assistance to hostage taking) and Article 219 Part 3 (assistance to seizure of buildings).
Earlier Yeghnukyan was stating that despite his membership in Founding Parliament he knew nothing about seizure of Police Patrol Service Regiment.
Refering to Yeghnukyan's posts in Facebook and his tapped phone calls, the law-enforcement says he disseminated misinformation allegedly about military hardware moving towards the police compound seized by Sasna Tsrer group or alleged poisoning of the group members with the food transferred by the Police. Besides, the Police say Yeghnukyan led the protesters to Khorenatsi Street and tried to ensure radio communication of the armed group members with their families.
Yeghnukyan with his wife and five children moved to Armenia in 2009 from U.S. They are all U.S. citizens.