If I received a political order and was ready to perform it, I would still be holding the position of director of the National Security Service and would perform those political orders. This is what former director of the National Security Service of Armenia, leader of Homeland Party Artur Vanetsyan told reporters in the yard of the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction today.

When asked if he doesn’t fear that a criminal case might be instituted against him as well, Vanetsyan said the following: “The recent illegal and politically motivated persecutions in Armenia can serve as a ground for me to think that a criminal case might be instituted against me as well. I have had the occasion to say that it is simply impossible to deprive me of my liberty by law since I haven’t committed any illegal act.”

A journalist stated that when Vanetsyan was the director of the National Security Service, there was a criminal case related to one of the supporters of the Prosperous Armenia Party leader Sedrak Arustamyan, and asked why there was no political persecution back then, Vanetsyan said the following: “Sedrak Arustamyan is not a politician, and even members of Prosperous Armenia Party haven’t viewed the criminal prosecution against him as political.”

Vanetsyan also stated that he isn’t familiar with the details of the criminal case regarding Sedrak Arustamyan and can’t give an evaluation of it.