One more citizen detained over incident in Etchmiadzin

ArmInfo. The Armenian  Prosecutor General's Office reports that one more citizen has been  detained over the incident that occurred in Etchmiadzin in the run-up  to the local elections.  

The press service of the Prosecutor General's Office reports that by  the written instruction of the Prosecutor General, an investigative  group including investigators of the Special Investigation Service  and the Armenian Investigative Committee's General Department of  Investigation of Major Cases is to investigate the criminal case on  the crimes related to "kidnapping by a group of persons with prior  agreement; kidnapping by using violence dangerous for life or health  or threat of using violence". 

On October 23, a resident of Yerevan, A.K., was detained on suspicion  of committing the aforementioned crimes. 

To note, on September 18, 2016, a resident of Etchmiadzin, A.A., was  also detained within the framework of the same case. Arrest has been  chosen as a measure of restraint against him.   

Earlier, the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia instituted a  criminal case over abduction of a member of the Elders' Council of  Etchmiadzin based on the Elders' Council member's report under  Article 131.2.2 (Kidnapping by a group of persons with prior  agreement; kidnapping by using violence dangerous for life or health  or threat of using violence); as well as Article 149.2 Items 3 and 5  (Hindrance to implementation of the right to elect accompanied with  violence or threats to use violence) of the Armenian Criminal Code.  The criminal case will be sent to the Investigative Committee for  pretrial investigation. At the same time, an instruction has been  issued to launch the necessary search and criminal procedure measures  aimed at disclosing the crime within the shortest period possible.  

To recall, candidate for Etchmiadzin Mayor Arthur Tumanyan has  accused his rival and the winner of the past local elections Karen  Grigoryan, who is the son of MP Manvel Grigoryan, of kidnapping his  supporter Kirakos Bazhakyan.  "We learned that Grigoryan and his men  kidnapped Kirakos Bazhakyan, a member of our campaign headquarters",  he said. Moreover, he accuses his rival of attacking and using  violence against him. Tumanyan and his teammate Smbat Abgaryan were  hospitalized. Meantime, the spokesperson of the Etchmiadzin  Municipality Vardan Vardanyan disclaimed the reports on Bazhakyan's  kidnapping calling it provocation. Meanwhile, Grigoryan's supporters  say that the scuffle between the rivals started because Tumanyan shot  at the car of Grigoryan's brother, where the mayor was.  Tumanyan, in  turn, claims that he had no arms and Grigoryan had. The Investigative  Committee has already initiated a criminal case based on Article  34-104.6.2 (attempted murder).