YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Leader of the Fatherland Party, former director of the National Security Service of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan has been charged for illegal possession of firearms, plotting assassination of a state, political or public official and attempting to seize power, his lawyer Lusine Sahakyan told reporters today.

She said that Vanetsyan denies the wrongdoing.

Earlier, the National Security Service of Armenia has announced that it has prevented an assassination of a government official, attempts to seize power by a group of people with prior consent, as well as revealed cases of illegal acquisition and possession of weapons, ammunition and explosives by a group of persons for this purpose.

In particular, a resident of Syunik province Ashot Minasyan, by using the fact of the presence of weapons in Artsakh during the recent war unleashed by Azerbaijan, has illegally transported and stored large amount of weapons, ammunition, explosives in one of his buildings in the town of Sisian after a preliminary consent with a group of people. This person, during and after the military operations launched on September 27, has agreed with a number of opposition party leaders, former politicians and their supporters to seize power through these illegally acquired weapons, in particular to assassinate the Prime Minister, as well as to usurp power, and also they have even discussed issues relating to a possible candidate for the next prime minister.

As a result, the resident of Syunik province and a group of opposition party leaders, former officials and their supporters have acquired measures and tools for conducting a deliberate crime, as well as have deliberately created other conditions for preparing to commit the assassination of a government official and usurping power, however, all their plans were revealed and prevented by the National Security Service.

A group of people, including the leader of the Fatherland party Artur Vanetsyan, former Member of Parliament Vahram Baghdasaryan, as well as commander of the Sisian volunteers squad Ashot Minasyan have been arrested in suspicion of being involved in the conspiracy. Investigative operations are being carried out to find the remaining members of the group and prevent and neutralize their criminal activity.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan