Female opposition MPs back Aregnaz Manukyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Female opposition members of Armenia's National Assembly have issued a joint statement expressing support for former lawmaker and Mother Armenia party board member Aregnaz Manukyan, calling for her pretrial detention to be reconsidered.

“We, the women members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, express deep concern over the decision to impose detention as a preventive measure against our colleague, Aregnaz Manukyan, a member of the Mother Armenia party's governing board.

While we believe the criminal proceedings were initiated under the influence of the executive branch and clearly carry political motives, and while the legal grounds for the case remain highly questionable, we also stress that detention is the most severe preventive measure under criminal procedure and should be used only when less restrictive alternatives cannot ensure the proper course of proceedings.

The principles of the rule of law, personal liberty and the presumption of innocence require every such decision to be proportionate, well-founded and strictly necessary.

Given the public significance of the case, Manukyan's political and public activities, the fact that she is raising a minor child, and the need to uphold fundamental human rights, we call for:

• An immediate review of the preventive measure imposed on Aregnaz Manukyan.
• The application of an alternative measure that does not involve deprivation of liberty.
• Full compliance with the law, fair trial guarantees and international human rights standards throughout the criminal proceedings.

We therefore urge Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan and the head of the investigating authority, Artur Poghosyan, to reconsider the necessity of detention and secure Aregnaz Manukyan's release by replacing custody with a less restrictive preventive measure.

We reaffirm that public confidence in the justice system can be maintained only if every decision is based solely on the rule of law and legal principles, rather than political persecution.

We, the opposition women members of parliament, express our full support for Aregnaz Manukyan and her family, convinced that freedom of expression, conscience, political opinion and political activity are fundamental values that must remain protected,” the statement said.

The statement was signed by:

• Lilit Galstyan
• Irina Gasparyan
• Anna Grigoryan
• Taguhi Tovmasyan (independent)
• Agnesa Khamoyan
• Armine Kheranyan
• Armenuhi Kyureghyan
• Aspram Krpeyan
• Zemfira Mirzoyeva
• Anna Mkrtchyan (I Have Honor faction)
• Arpine Vardanyan
• Elinar Vardanyan
• Kristine Vardanyan

Manukyan was detained on July 9 and, later that evening, she was remanded in custody for two months on charges of disclosing information containing state secrets. The case is linked to proceedings involving Mother Armenia leader Andranik Tevanyan, who is accused of treason and espionage.