Lawyer: Twin brothers, detained in a St. Anna Church courtyard in  Yerevan, have serious health issues

ArmInfo.Twin brothers David and Mikael Minasyan, detained in the courtyard of St. Anna Church on March 29 following an incident involving Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have been detained for 72 hours pending  charges, as stated by lawyer Lusine Martirosyan to reporters on March 30.

She also expressed hope that the investigative body will exercise  common sense and  that the 18-year-old students from School No. 29  will not be charged in the criminal case initiated by the  Investigative Committee of Armenia on March 29. A criminal case has  been opened in connection with the incident under Part 1 of Article  297 (hooliganism) and Part 3 of Article 452 (interference with the  lawful official or political activities of an official) of the  Criminal Code.

The lawyer noted that the articles under which the criminal case was  initiated by the Investigative Committee carry prison sentences of 2  to 5 years.

She also mentioned that one of the young men, David Minasyan,  underwent a medical examination yesterday. She speculated that this  was due to him being punched by a member of Pashinyan's security.   "Our main concern so far has been the health of the young men, as  both have illnesses incompatible with imprisonment," Martirosyan  added. She reported that David, who was punched, had been  experiencing severe headaches all day yesterday, but the results of  the medical examination are not available yet.

The lawyer clarified that the young men, who turned 18 last December,  are in the 12th grade. They are top students in their class and have  received numerous certificates and medals for their excellent  academic performance.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia finally responded  to the situation. Despite the fact that schoolchildren were involved  in the incident, the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia  did not find time to visit the investigative body on Sunday and  assess the situation on the spot.

Only on March 30, at the request of Ombudsperson Anahit Manasyan,  representatives from the Office of the Human Rights Defender of  Armenia visited the pre-trial detention center of the Ministry of  Internal Affairs police to meet with those detained following the  incident at St. Anne's Church in Yerevan on March 29. Representatives  of the Armenian Ombudsman held separate conversations with the  detainees and reviewed the documents prepared against them. "The  Ombudsman emphasizes that everyone has the right to freely express  their opinion, including the right to critically assess the actions  of the authorities. The exercise of any right must not be accompanied  by violence against others, including officials, calls for violence,  manifestations of hatred, etc. The Human Rights Commission attaches  great importance to an independent, comprehensive, and objective  examination of all circumstances of the case. At the same time, it  requires that competent authorities, when carrying out any actions,  adhere to the principle of legality, refrain from the use of  disproportionate force, and ensure the proper exercise and protection  of the rights of all citizens. In this regard, the Ombudsman will  continue to monitor the situation to guarantee the rights of  citizens," the Human Rights Defender's statement reads.

The statement also notes that the Human Rights Defender of Armenia  continues to observe an alarming trend of the spread of expressions  of hatred and intolerance in public discourse. In this context, she  calls for refraining from expressions that exacerbate the situation  and incite hatred or violence, given their dangerous impact on social  solidarity.

Recall, on March 29, an incident involving Prime Minister Pashinyan's  bodyguards took place at St. Anne's Church in Yerevan. Parishioners  were upset by Pashinyan's presence at the church and demanded that he  leave the liturgy and not desecrate the Lord's house with his  presence. Following a verbal altercation, one of the young men  attending the liturgy attempted to attack either Pashinyan or his  bodyguard. The video footage does not clearly capture this moment.  Later, one of the bodyguards hit the young man  in the face, causing  him to fall. Law enforcement officers subsequently detained two  people in connection with the incident, identified as 18-year-old  twin brothers, David and Mikael Minasyan. The Investigative Committee  of Armenia promptly launched a criminal investigation.