An administrative case has been launched by the police against two members of the "For the Republic" party after they hung a large banner featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin labeled "criminal" from the Kyivyan bridge in Yerevan. The party's chairman, Arman Babajanyan, announced this on his Facebook page.

“I declared that I personally organized the banner-hanging action. The deputy head of the police department is preparing a report about me—we’ll see whether they can proceed with the case,” Babajanyan stated.

He emphasized the importance of the banner's fate, demanding its return. Initially, the department head claimed the banner had been destroyed, later saying its whereabouts and handling were still under investigation.

Babajanyan visited the police station accompanied by lawyer Tigran Eghiyan. They filed a written objection to the administrative case, arguing that no legal violation had occurred.

Ahead of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Yerevan, several groups organized protests in the capital. During these protests, anti-Putin banners were posted in various parts of the city, including near the Russian Embassy and on the Kyivyan bridge. Babajanyan himself held a large banner reading “Putin is a murderer” on the way to the airport and shared the act on Facebook. Police removed the posted banners.