Epress.am News from Armenia
Update: Armlur.am wrote at 2pm; "Law enforcement officers gave up the idea of detaining Manukyan and admitted that the investigator's decision had been unfounded after Zhoghovurd editor-in-chief Taguhi Tovmasyan and deputy editor Vahagn Hovakimyan arrived in the scene and presented them with the corresponding Armenian laws."
At around 11am on Friday, officers of Armenia's military police arrived in Zhoghovurd and Armlur.am reporter Knar Manukyan's apartment with the intention to detain her, Armlur.am reports, claiming that Manukyan's article on Sergey Hayrapetov, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan's security chief, was the reason for the journalist's possible arrest. As of 1pm, the website provided no further information as to whether Manukyan has been taken into police custody.
The website says the summons was issued by Gevorg Khachikyan, the head of Armenia's Investigative Committee's department for the investigation of particularly important cases, who “suggests” that the reporter shows up to “assist investigation.”
Taguhi Tovmasyan, the editor-in-chief of Zhoghovurd, sent a response letter, saying that the paper had already printed all available information and the journalist therefore could not accept the invitation. In addition, Tovmasyan wrote that the summons did not specify whether Manukyan was involved as a witness, a suspect or a victim in the investigation, and that they could not be of help in disclosing the source of their information.
Recall, according to Knar Manukyan's article, Sergey Hayrapetov had “cooked up a case” against Colonel Samvel Khachatryan, the head of general control division of the defense ministry's control department. He had also allegedly beaten up chief specialist of the ministry's technical department Arsen Gharibjanyan to force him into testifying against Khachatryan.