Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 12.06.2020:

·       The government extended the state of emergency in Armenia on Friday for another month up to July 13.

The decision was presented today at the parliament's special meeting.

According to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinayn, the decision to extend the emergency came because the COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading in the country.

·       Armenia confirmed 612 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number to 15,281.

The total number of tests conducted so far is 77,656.

According to the latest data, 5,639 people have recovered thus far.

In total, 258 patients—an increase by 13—have died thus far.

In the meantime, health minister Arsen Torosyan noted that ten doctors from France would arrive in Armenia on Saturday.

As he added, the number of COVID-19 patients in an extremely serious and serious condition ranges within 500.

·       The news service of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia reports that a 26-year-old Azerbaijani has been apprehended on suspicion of trespassing the state border of the Republic of Armenia in the northeastern direction of the line of contact between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan at around 10 a.m. on June 12.

The Azerbaijani had a bag in which there were personal items. The National Security Service is currently clarifying all the circumstances behind the border trespassing.

·       A group of lawyers and human rights activists - Ruben Melikyan, Robert Hayrapetyan, Armen Galstyan, and Babken Harutyunyan - were apprehended Friday during the protests in front of the Armenian parliament.

Later, police have released them. Robert Hayrapetyan told reporters that he doesn’t think the police actions are lawful.

President of the Public Oversight Center NGO Babken Harutyunyan told reporters the purpose of his and the other lawyers’ protest is to return the right of citizens to freedom of assembly and stated that extension of the state of emergency is exclusively politically motivated.

·       Armenia is a great opportunity for Iran, Mehr reported referring to the Iranian Deputy FM for the Economic Diplomacy Affairs Gholamreza Ansari.

"Armenia is a great opportunity for us and given that the Aras Free Zone has a unique opportunity to increase trade with this country and the Eurasian countries, we hope that the government will try to seize this special opportunity," he noted.

·       The Administrative Court of Armenia has decided not to consider second President Robert Kocharyan’s lawsuit against the Penitentiary Service. With this lawsuit, Kocharyan had asked not to limit his visitation and telephone rights.

The aforesaid court did not accept this lawsuit for proceedings because the oversight over the legality of decisions to ban visitation and telephone rights is subject to be carried out by criminal litigation procedure, not administrative.