Arsen Ghukasyan and Apijan Sargsyan, relatives of Armenian missing soldiers, have been arrested, their lawyer Tatevik Soghomonyan announced. The arrests stem from a September 29 altercation outside the Ministry of Defense, where a case was launched based on reports from MoD and Military Police officers.
Soghomonyan stated that a motion has been filed requesting pre-trial detention. The Investigative Committee confirmed both arrests, noting that public criminal prosecution has been initiated under Article 297, Part 3 (hooliganism) and Article 452, Part 1 (interference with official or political duties).
On October 6, families of the missing and deceased held another protest in front of the Government Building. Parents said they plan to attend the Ajapnyak Court, where pre-trial detention measures for the detainees will be reviewed.
Relatives of soldiers missing since the 44-day war had previously demanded a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Edward Asryan and Kamо Vardanyan, advisor to the Defense Minister and former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army. According to the MoD, on September 29, some demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at military police officers, though police reportedly responded with restraint.
