
ArmInfo. The arrest warrant for David Minasyan, one of the twin brothers involved in the incident involving RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, will be published on Wednesday at 12:00 PM. David has been taken to a pretrial detention center, according to his lawyer, Varduhi Elbakyan.
"There is no factual evidence that could convince the court that David committed the alleged crime," she said, adding that David isn't even "sure what's happening to him right now."
The lawyer noted that a preventive measure should not be applied since there is no primary suspicion. "Considering David Minasyan's personality, we requested an alternative preventive measure," she added. As a reminder, the incident occurred on March 29, Palm Sunday. A video circulated on social media showing Pashinyan, accompanied by security guards, heading for the exit during the liturgy. One of the attendees said, "Don't you dare look at me like that!" and made a sharp motion toward the prime minister, but his hand was pulled back by his bodyguards. Later, 18-year-old twin brothers David and Mikael Minasyan, as well as public and political figure Gevorg Gevorgyan, were detained. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against David Minasyan 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, and against Mikael Minasyan under Part 1 of Article 46-297 (assistance to hooliganism) and Part 3 of Article 46-452 (assistance to interference with the lawful official or political activities of an official). A case was opened against Gevork Gevorkyan under Part 1 of Article 46-297 (organization of hooliganism) and Part 3 of Article 46-452 (organization of interference with the lawful official or political activities of an official). Earlier, the Minasyan brothers' defense team, addressing the fact that several witnesses to the incident testified that one of the prime minister's security guards reacted quite harshly to David Minasyan's words and punched him so hard that he lost his balance, noted that this was evidenced by a video circulated in the media. "There is relevant footage of him punching David Minasyan in the face and him falling. At this stage, naturally, this fact is being ignored," the lawyer said. It is noteworthy that the Investigative Committee opened a case under the Criminal Code article "interference in the lawful official or political activity of an official," despite Prime Minister Pashinyan himself repeatedly stating that he attends Sunday liturgies solely as an ordinary parishioner of the Armenian Apostolic Church.