Tigran Arzakantsyan barred from contacting wife amid criminal probe

Armenian businessman and former lawmaker Tigran Arzakantsyan has been barred from contacting his wife, Natalya Rotenberg, after authorities imposed protective measures amid a criminal investigation into allegations of domestic violence, her lawyer said.

Under the court-ordered restrictions, Arzakantsyan is prohibited from approaching Rotenberg either in person or through third parties, and any form of communication between them is forbidden, attorney Hasmik Martirosyan told Panorama.am on Tuesday.

Martirosyan said law enforcement authorities have also assigned security personnel to provide Rotenberg with 24-hour protection to ensure enforcement of the order.

According to the lawyer, police were called to Rotenberg's residence on June 8 following an alleged domestic dispute in which Arzakantsyan is accused of assaulting her during an argument allegedly fueled by jealousy.

Martirosyan said investigators have opened two criminal cases in connection with the incident, one concerning the alleged use of violence and another alleging unlawful deprivation of liberty.

Armenia's Investigative Committee declined to comment on the case, citing privacy protections. The agency told Panorama.am that the proceedings concern an individual's private life and that no further details about the investigation or its outcome will be made public.

Arzakantsyan is believed to be outside Armenia. Panorama's attempts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful, with calls answered by an automated message in Arabic indicating the subscriber was unavailable. Arzakantsyan had previously posted on Facebook that he was in Spain.