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YEREVAN. - I neither know former Karabakh defense minister Samvel Babayan nor have ever been friends with him, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan told journalists at the end of the meeting with voters in Yerevan’s Shengavit administrative district Thursday.

“The National Security Service (NSS) has detained him, mentioning in its relevant statement the specific articles [for his detention]. They are specialized in that issue and one should ask exactly them whether it is possible to import Igla air defense system to Armenia or not. I don’t know him. I neither know him personally not have deeply studied his activity,” the Mayor said.

Referring to the question as to whether Babayan was detained due to political repressions, PM Karen Karapetyan, who also took part in the meeting, said:  “Let’s wait for the law enforcement authorities to understand and respond [to this].”

Earlier, the National Security Service of Armenia confirmed the information on the detention of former Karabakh defense minister Samvel Babayan.

Samvel Babayan and another two citizens have been detained on the suspicion of transporting Igla air defense system to Armenia by way of smuggling, the NSS press-service informed Armenian News – NEWS.am

According to the source, the investigation has revealed that the people, who acquired and delivered component parts of the air defense system to Armenia, acted upon the order of and by previous concert with Samvel Babayan.  

Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian (ORO) bloc qualifies Babayan’s detention as political repression. The former Defense Minister never denied his link to the bloc. 

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