Freedom fighter Vahan Badasyan was charged late last night following an interview in which he called for the removal of Armenian PM Pashinyan by any means possible.

Badasyan's lawyer, Arayik Papikyan, told Hetq that his client had been detained and questioned by law enforcement authorities.

Badasyan is accused of committing an act envisaged by Article 301 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, which is “public calls to seize power, violate the territorial integrity or overthrow the constitutional order by force”. He does not accept the accusation.

Badasyan was taken to the National Security Service (NSS) yesterday after giving an interview to journalists at Yerevan’s Yerablur Military Pantheon, in which he said that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan should be removed not only as a symbol of defeat, but also as an enemy.

When asked by a reporter about how to remove him, Badasyan answered that there are various ways, even physical removal.

“Yes, I call for threats. I do it consciously, let the NSS arrest me," Badasyan stated.

Papikyan believes that what Badasyan said in his interview cannot be qualified as a crime envisaged by Article 301 of the Criminal Code.