Lawyer says missing soldier's uncle targeted for challenging officials

Arsen Ghukasyan, the uncle of an Armenian soldier who went missing during the 2020 Artsakh war, has been detained on charges of “hooliganism” following a protest outside the Defense Ministry.

In a live Facebook video on Monday, his attorney Tatevik Soghoyan said that the activist and other relatives of missing soldiers had gone to the ministry for a pre-arranged meeting on September 27, but were “provoked and insulted” leading to clashes with military police.

“We expected a case to be opened, but not on hooliganism charges,” Soghoyan said, adding that Ghukasyan had consistently urged protesters to remain respectful toward police officers.

The lawyer argued that Ghukasyan, who has suffered serious health issues since the war, was being targeted because his “tough questions” often embarrassed officials.

Ghukasyan’s brother was killed in the 2020 war, while his nephew remains missing. He has been remanded in pre-custody for one month. A medical examination has been ordered to assess his health condition.