05.05.2007 – The National Security Service (NSS) searched the home and office of Alexander Arzoumanian, founding member of Civil Disobedience Movement and former Foreign Minister of Armenia, confiscating all computers, some documents and US $55,400 from his apartment. Arzoumanian refused to offer any explanations during questioning by the NSS.

NSS agents also searched the home of former Deputy Defense Minister and Minister for Coordination of Local Structures Vahan Shirkhanyan, confiscating a computer, documents and US $28,000.

The home of writer Artyom Khachatryan (author of the book Dedication to Pasolini under the pseudonym Gagik Sargsyan) was also searched and his computer confiscated.

07.05.07 – The NSS released the following statement:

“NSS operative investigations have revealed that in the period between April 24 and 26, 2007, the founders of the so-called Civil Disobedience Movement, former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzoumanian and former Deputy Defense Minister Vahan Shirkhanyan, came to an agreement with Russian citizen Levon Grigor Markos, under investigation since 2005 under case 62205103 (financial fraud), who had certain plans for activities in the election period in Armenia. Through this agreement, they were to arrange the transfer to Armenia and legalization of money of suspicious origin. It has been specifically noted that US $180,000 was transferred part by part to nine bank accounts in Converse Bank, registered in different names but all in reality leading to these two people. A criminal case has been filed, based on point 1 of in Article 190, Part 3, Point 1 of the Criminal Code. The case is being led by the NSS investigation department.

Article 190. Legitimizing (legalizing) illegally obtained income.

1. Financial or other transactions with obviously illegally obtained financial resources or other property for the purpose of using such funds or property for entrepreneurial or other economic activity, to conceal or distort the essence, origin and whereabouts of these assets or rights pertaining to them, their placement, movement or actual identity, is punished with a fine in the amount of 300 to 500 minimal salaries, or with imprisonment for the term of up to 4 years with or without a fine in the amount of 50 minimal salaries.

2. The same action committed:

1) in large amount

2) by a group with prior agreement, is punished with imprisonment for the term of 4 to 8 years, with or without property confiscation.

3. The action envisaged in part 1 or 2 of this Article which was committed:

1) in particularly large amount

2) by an organized group,

3) abuse of official position, is punished with imprisonment for the term of 6 to 12 years, with or without property confiscation.

4. For the purposes of this Article, by large amount we mean an amount (value) exceeding 1000 minimal salaries, while particularly large amount exceeds 3000 minimal salaries..

Civil Disobedience council member Ararat Asryan and activist Arkady Karapetyan (Ago) were questioned by the NSS.

Alexander Arzoumanian was arrested as he returned home a little before midnight.

08.05.2007 – Vahan Shirkhanyan testified as a witness before the NSS.

10.05.2007 – The Court of First Instance of the Kentron and Nork-Marash Municipalities sustained the NSS request to detain Arzoumanian for two months.

Alexander Robert Arzoumanian

•  Born December 24, 1959 in Yerevan

•  Graduated from the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics at Yerevan State University

•  Worked as an engineer and programmer in the city automated systems department of the Yerevan Scientific Research Institute until 1990

•  Worked as the director of the ANM news center, publishing mobile news bulletins (in Armenian and Russian) as well as the Moscow newspapers Express Chronicle .

•  1990-1991 – assistant to the President of the Armenian Supreme Soviet

•  1991 – sent to the United States based on a decision by the Armenian Supreme Soviet Presidium and ministers, in order to establish Armenian diplomatic missions there

•  1992-1993 – Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Armenia to the United States of a merica

•  1992-1996 – permanent representative to the United Nations

•  1996-1998 – Foreign Minister of Armenia

•  1998–current – political and social activist

•  2000-2002 – ANM administrative president

•  Since 2001 – founding member of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission

•  Since 2002 – has been working with NGOs in the fields of human rights, democracy and regional collaboration

Since 2006 – founding member of the Civil Disobedience Movement