The Investigative Committee's Step Back: Aram is Free, Says Armen Ashotyani

The Investigative Committee's step back: Aram is free. The spokesperson for the Republican Party of Armenia, Armen Ashotyani, wrote on his Facebook page.

It has just been reported that the Investigative Committee charged Aram, who provided testimony and accepted his guilt. The money collected from me and other friends was transferred to a deposit account to compensate for the damages attributed to him until the final court verdict, resulting in his release on the condition that he does not leave the country.

Once again, I emphasize that Aram accepted his guilt, and the money has been returned; he did not shy away from this. I consider Aram's detention a political prosecution.

This raises the question: why did the Investigative Committee take this path today if the whole mess could have been avoided and the same thing done yesterday without arresting Aram on political grounds?

Why, if we were ready to compensate all attributed damages before the final court verdict?

The answer is clear to me: The authorities did not achieve three expected outcomes – testimony against me, my silence, and public support. Aram did not break and did not give false testimony against me. They failed to silence me. And the public opinion, thanks to many honest and straightforward people regardless of political disagreements, rejected the initially failed portrayal of “The Next Thief.”

I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone for your support, solidarity, and honesty. Special thanks to lawyer Tigran Atanesyan. Together, you have proven that the human species has not entirely disappeared in Armenia.

P.S. I advise some to ‘play far away’ from us; otherwise, you will constantly meet at least this kind of political, human, and legal resistance.