One brother released after church incident

PanARMENIAN.Net - Mikael Minasyan, one of the detained brothers in the case related to the incident at St. Anna Church involving Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, has been released.

Although released, Mikael Minasyan has been formally charged. He declined to answer journalists’ questions, only stating that he feels well and was treated properly, Aysor.am reports.

A travel ban has been imposed on him as a preventive measure.

A motion has been filed with the court to detain his brother, Davit Minasyan. Lawyer Lusine Martirosyan said he has already been transferred to court. It is not yet known which judge will consider the request.

The third detainee in the case, freedom fighter Gevorg Gevorgyan, has also been released.

Speaking to journalists, Gevorgyan called claims that their actions were pre-planned “absurd.”

“I organized and planned the liberation of cities, villages, and Artsakh,” he said.

He added that if Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sees fear in his eyes, then “we are in a far worse situation than one might imagine.”

Gevorgyan has been charged, and bail of 5 million drams has been set as a preventive measure, to be paid within three days.

On March 29, an incident occurred during a church service at Surp Anna Church in Yerevan. As the prime minister was leaving through a dense crowd, one individual told a bodyguard clearing the way, “Don’t look at me like that.” Another person from the back of the crowd attempted to strike toward Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Pashinyan instructed his bodyguards to remain calm. Arrests took place in the church courtyard.

Following the incident, Pashinyan stated that some of those involved were affiliated with the Republican Party of Armenia, while others were linked to the Sasna Tsrer group.