Council of the Karabakh War
Freedom-Fighters has addressed an open letter to President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan, Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, Acting Prosecutor General Aram
Tamrazyan, and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan demanding release of Reserve
Colonel Volodya Avetisyan.
The veterans say in the letter that the charges
brought against Avetisyan are groundless, because he is a reserve colonel and
occupies no position. Additionally, the veterans say that Volodya Avetisyan
could not make any illegal actions and his arrest was connected with his latest
protests against the social situation in the country and demands for better
life for freedom-fighters.
Veteran and reserve colonel Volodya Avetisyan was
promptly arrested at home on Thursday, 19 September, without a warrant.
Afterwards, the RA Ministry of Defense Investigation
Service issued a statement saying that Avetisyan was arrested under RA Criminal
Code Article 178 Section 2.2, suspected of "swindling large amounts."
"Avetisyan, for fraud and abuse of trust, under
the pretense of providing assistance in the matter of exempting citizen H.
Zakaryan's grandson from compulsory military service, swindled 2000 USD from
H. Zakaryan. A criminal investigation
is underway," reads the defense ministry's statement.
Recall, Volodya Avetisyan is one of the leaders of the
struggle to improve war veterans' socioeconomic conditions that began in May. He
had organized sit-ins in Liberty Square and organized war veterans' visits to
the regions. Earlier, Avetisyan held a
sitting strike in Republic Square protesting against social and economic
situation in the country. However, he has already declared that his arrested
bears no relation to his public activity.