YEREVAN. – I have known Arsen Babayan since years of working as a journalist, I know his type, and I believe that at this stage, moreover, it is also the position of the political team, that detention as a precautionary measure should be applied in exceptional cases. Speaking to reporters in the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia today, Sisak Gabrielyan, an MP of the majority My Step faction, said this referring to the fact that he had submitted a guarantee, together with the head of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan, that the pretrial measure of custody against Arsen Babayan, the NA former Deputy Chief of Staff, be commuted.

"I presented the guarantee yesterday," he said. "I was just recently informed that the prosecutor had granted that motion."

He also informed that he had had respective discussions with lawyers. “Of course, I did not make this decision on my own; I have discussed [it] with my political team, and in fact, their position is in line with the petition I have submitted,” Gabrielyan added. "In my deep conviction, at this stage he [Babayan] cannot hinder the cause."