Appeal against Ara Saghatelyan's arrest assigned to judge Arshak Vardanyan

An appeal against the arrest of Ara Saghatelyan, a former chief of staff of the Armenian National Assembly, has been assigned to judge Arshak Vardanyan of the Criminal Court of Appeals, his attorney, Hakob Yenokyan, told Panorama.am on Wednesday.

He noted that a specific date for a hearing in the case has not been set, adding most likely it will take place on March 4 or March 5.

Yenokyan told Panorama.am on Tuesday that they have “great expectations” from the court.

Earlier on February 21, judge Armine Meliksetyan of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction ruled to arrest Ara Saghatelyan for two months, granting a motion of the National Security Service investigator.

Saghatelyan has been charged with allegedly provoking racial, religious or ethnic hostility, making public calls for violence and justifying or propagating violence and violating the rules of publishing or spreading information during the martial law.