Epress.am News from Armenia
Argishti Kiviryan, a Yerevan-based journalist and civic activist, was detained by Armenian police early Wednesday on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, Kiviryan’s lawyer, Lusine Sahakyan, said in conversation with Epress.am. According to the lawyer, Kiviryan is currently being held in the Yerevan police central division.
“They approached Argishti in the street and wanted to search him; he was detained shortly after when he refused to allow the search. Police offer us no explanation, and it’s unclear why they suddenly decided Argishti was carrying a weapon. They say they ‘noticed an item resembling a knife’ on him. They couldn’t have noticed a knife on him because he does not carry one. It’s evident that he has been detained unlawfully,” Sahakyan said.
The lawyer is convinced that today’s incident “is yet another episode of the political persecution” against Kiviryan: “He is obviously being persecuted. He has long been subjected to various forms of persecution, from criminal [ARM] to administrative. There has even been an assassination attempt on him.”
Speaking to Epress.am, a spokesperson for Yerevan police said Kiviryan “was detained on suspicion of committing a criminal offense.” The spokesperson, however, did not offer us any details about the alleged offense and said that “further information will be provided later.”