Activist Mikayel Margaryan has been detained within the criminal proceedings being examined over an incident involving National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan and a group of individuals, Armenpress reports, citing the Investigative Committee.
Public criminal prosecution has been initiated against Mikael Margaryan under Article 297, Part 2, Clause 3 of the Criminal Code (committing hooliganism using information or communication technologies).
Mikael Margaryan’s son, Yuri Margaryan, reported his father’s arrest during a Facebook livestream.
“A large number of people came to our home — special forces officers, people in civilian clothes, and police officers, around 15 to 20 people. Without any clear explanation, although they presented an arrest document, they forcibly detained my father, not allowing him to leave voluntarily. This was done in front of my sister, my grandmother, and me; they simply took him away, also in the presence of a lawyer. The situation is completely incomprehensible to us. No explanation was given,” he said.
He asked the Human Rights Defender to respond to the situation.
Mikael Margaryan, as well as Arsen Vardanyan, had also been detained on March 26 after the well-known incident involving Alen Simonyan, but were later released.
On March 26, Alen Simonyan argued with a citizen in front of the National Assembly building, and the two exchanged insults. Two people were taken from Demirchyan Street to the Arabkir division of the community police.
According to a report received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs police, M.M., using information and communication technologies, carried out hooligan actions near 1/1 Demirchyan Street in Yerevan on March 26, 2026, during a livestream, specifically by displaying overt disrespect toward society and clear contempt for moral norms, and by shouting profanity and obscene expressions.
