We need stronger support from Armenia, says Levon Hayrapetyan proxy

A proxy for Levon Hayrapetyan, the Russian-Armenian businessman detained in Moscow over a money-laundering affair, says he is somewhat discontent with the Armenian political and intellectual circles’ reaction to the scandalous incident.

“I personally, see something very negative; that’s awesome. We called for support from at least cultural and political circles, but no voices heard, apart from Komandos [Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, a legendary veteran of the Nagorno-Karabakh war],” Matsak Poladyan, a Diaspora-Armenian from Niece (France), told Tert.am.

A protest march in support of the jailed businessman will be held in Yerevan on Thursday night.

Hayrapetyan’s proxy said that the businessman’s family and friends also expect a reaction by second President Robert Kocharyan. “The second president is his close friend after all,” he noted.

As for official and non-official statements occasionally heard from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), Poladyan said he is content with the country’s position. “What I liked about the Artsakh authorities’ position is the speech – I think by the head of [President] Bako Sahakyan’s staff,” he added.

David Babayan, a spokesperson for the Nagorno-Karabakh president, recently expressed the country’s tough stance on the Russian law-enforcement authorities’ decision to detain Hayrapetyan.

Poladyan had earlier said that depending on the circumstances, he might fly to Moscow to protect the businessman’s interests.

In today’s comments to Tert.am, however, he said Hayrapetyan’s friends have warned him against acting as a proxy.

Poladyan said they expect news later today, promising that the media would be duly notified of any development. He said they are trying to have Hayrapetyan hospitalized, as his condition has been recently reported to be deteriorating.

“That’s our main goal, as his health is the most important thing at the moment,” he added.

Hayrapetyan, who suffers from diabetes and cancer, has undergone chemotherapy in Paris after several surgeries in Los Angeles. His condition has deteriorated several times in Paris and Niece where businessman was alone with Poladyan.