YEREVAN. – Ara Oskanian, 33—the son of former Foreign Minister of Armenia, opposition Consolidation Party Chairman Vartan Oskanian—who was detained on February 17, has faced the person who testified against him.

Oskanian’s attorney Tigran Atanesyan, however, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that this is just an ordinary criminal case, and the person that had borrowed money has simply made a complaint against the lender of this money.

“I myself don’t see any political context,” added Atanesyan. “But if the course [of this case] differs from similar other ordinary cases in terms of the selection of a precautionary measure or further action, it may be possible to speak about a political context.

“I can’t say anything more at this point, but it’s clear that there can be no word about kidnapping; it’s about unlawfully depriving a person of liberty, which is also ruled out.”

The 72 hours of Ara Oskanian’s detention period are up on Monday at 6pm.

As reported earlier, the Investigative Committee of Armenia received a report from Police, and which was prepared based on an account by N. Berberyan.

Accordingly, on February 16, his friend H. Siradaryan and the latter’s cousin, Ara Oskanian, demanded that he pay back the 1,500,000 drams (about US$3,100) he had borrowed, during which they kept him in a vehicle against his will, and threatened to use violence against him, Public Relations Department of the Investigative Committee informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Committee filed a criminal case in this connection.

On February 17, Siradaryan and Oskanian were detained on suspicion of committing a criminal offense.

They have refused to testify. An investigation is underway.