Arrested Businessman’s Spokesman Calls for Stronger Government Support
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Armenian businessman and philanthropist Levon Hayrapetyan
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NICE, France—A spokesman for Levon Hayrapetian, a top Armenian businessman arrested in Moscow last week, says he is somewhat discontent with the Armenian political reaction to the “scandalous” incident.
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“I personally see something very negative. We called for support from at least cultural and political circles, but no voices were heard, apart from Komandos [Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, a veteran of the Nagorno-Karabakh war],” spokesman Matsak Poladian, an Armenian from Nice, France, told Tert.am.
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A protest march in support of the detained businessman will be held in Yerevan on Thursday night.
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Hayrapetian’s spokesman said that the businessman’s family and friends also expect a reaction from former President Robert Kocharian. “The second president is his close friend after all,” he noted.
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As for official and non-official statements heard from Nagorno-Karabakh, Poladian said he is content with the country’s position. “What I liked about the Artsakh authorities’ position is the speech – I think by the head of [President] Bako Sahakian’s staff,” he added.
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David Babayan, a spokesperson for the Nagorno-Karabakh president, recently expressed the country’s contrary stance to the Russian authorities’ decision to detain Hayrapetian.
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Poladian said that depending on the circumstances, he may fly to Moscow to protect the businessman’s interests.
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In Monday’s comments to Tert.am, however, he said Hayrapetian’s friends have warned him against acting as a proxy.
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Poladian said they expect news later today, promising that the media would be duly notified of any development. He said they are seeking house arrest for Hayrapetian, whose health condition has been recently reported to be deteriorating.
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“That’s our main goal, as his health is the most important thing at the moment,” he added.
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Hayrapetian, who suffers from diabetes and cancer, has undergone chemotherapy in Paris after several surgeries in Los Angeles. His condition has deteriorated with time in recent years. Hayrapetian has been living alone with Poladian in Paris and Nice.
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