Human rights activist sees malicious intent in death of lioness  confiscated from PAP leader 

ArmInfo. Human rights activist Ruben Melikyan has seen malicious intent in the death of the lioness previously confiscated from businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of  the Prosperous Armenia party.

The human rights activist noted that for a person who owns an animal,  the killing of their pet often causes far greater emotional suffering  than, for example, imprisonment and confiscation of property.

"I view the murder of Gagik Tsarukyan's lion from precisely this  perspective. In my opinion, what happened was the result of direct  intent, the result of a direct order from the dictator," Melikyan  wrote on his Facebook page, calling such actions pathetic and  despicable.

On July 6, law enforcement officers confiscated three lions and one  tiger from Tsarukyan as part of a criminal case of "illegal hunting."  On July 7, it was reported that one of the lions, a female  anesthetized for transport to the Yerevan Zoo, never woke up. Zoo  management claimed the lioness died because she was "of advanced age  and had multiple illnesses." Experts, however, believe the lioness's  death was caused by either malicious intent or negligence on the part  of those transporting the animals.