Ani Torosyan, attorney for Naregatsi Art Union President Nareg Hartounian who was taken into custody the other day on suspicion of tax evasion, says her client is innocent.

Torosyan argues that the government, by jailing Hartounian, wants to pressure him into paying 105 million AMD in taxes it claims G&H Storage Enterprises, a company linked to Hartounian, owes.

Prior to yesterday’s arrest of Hartounian, the company had filed an appeal of the government’s tax audit.

A Yerevan court yesterday issued a two month detention order for Hartounian.

Artur Galstyan, the company’s accountant, was also taken into custody by police. Attorney Torosyan says that this too was illegal since he is physically disabled. Torosyan describes his detention as torture.