Shirkhanyan: Levon Hayrapetyan’s arrest to advantage of Azerbaijan only

The charges brought against businessman Levon Hayrapetyan are an ordered misunderstanding, Vahan Shirkhanyan, a former Armenian Deputy Defense Minister, told reporters today.

Hayrapetyan’s arrest is to the advantage of Azerbaijan only, Shirkhanyan said, noting that demonstrations in his support should be held until August 13 when a court sitting is expected to examine the issue of changing Levon Hayrapetyan’s measure of restraint.

“We saw no grounds for arresting Levon Hayrapetyan,” V. Shirkhanyan stressed.

He expressed hope that on August 13 L. Hayrapetyan’s measure of restraint will be replaced with house arrest.

Businessman Levon Hayrapetyan, 65, was detained by Russian Federal Security Service on July 15 at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport after his plane arrived from Nice (he lives mianly in Monaco). Investigators suspect that Hayrapetyan was involved in the 2009 sale of Bashneft by U. Rakhimov to Sistema Company. According to Russian media, evidence given by ex-senator Igor Izmestyev who currently serves a life term was a ground for Hayrapetyan’s detention. The court earlier also seized his shares of over 300 million rubles in Bashneft. On July 17 Moscow’s Basmanny court sanctioned Hayrapetyan’s arrest until September 15. L. Hayrapetyan denies charges against him.