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Armenian Investigative Committee Says Blogger Badalyan, Sputnik Journalist Gevorkyan Released

YEREVAN (Sputnik) - The Armenian Investigative Committee said on Friday that pro-Russian blogger Mikael Badalyan and Sputnik Armenia columnist Ashot Gevorkyan have been released from custody.
Sputnik
On Thursday, the Armenian Investigative Committee said that Badalyan and Gevorkyan, as well as five other people, were detained in the south of the country as part of an illegal firearms trafficking case.
"The detainees A.G (Ashot Gevorkyan), M.B (Mikael Badalyan)... were released from custody by the decision of the investigative body," the statement said.
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According to the statement, one of the persons involved in illegal arms trafficking put a package with weapons in the luggage compartment of Gevorkyan's car without informing him about the contents of the package. Prior to that, Badalyan and the second person released from custody were in Gevorkyan's car.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenian ambassador Vagharshak Harutyunyan to lodge a strong representation over a number of "unfriendly decisions" made by Yerevan. The ministry also voiced concern over detention of Badalyan and Gevorkyan.
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