State security bodies arrested journalist Ernest Vardanyan in Transdniestria on April 7, 2010. A freelance reporter for Novy Region news agency is suspected of treason. On April 9, Tiraspol city court has prolonged Vardanyan’s detention for two months, Novy Region reported.

It is known that recently Vardanyan cooperated with Chisinau-based Pulse newspaper and passed an interview for the UN headquarters.

“According to my sources, Ernest Vardanyan should have been appointed in Russia’s delegation to the UN in New York in the near future. He passed all the required procedures last year, i.e. the Russian intelligence services have checked him,” said CEO of HP2 Alexander Shetinin.