The 18-year-old Davit Minasian was formally remanded in pretrial custody three days after the incident that marred a Plam Sunday Mass in St. Anne’s Church. Two days later, he reportedly passed out at a juvenile prison and was hospitalized as a result. Minasian has since remained in the Nairi Medical Center in what his lawyers describe as serious condition.
They petitioned Prosecutor-General Anna Vardapetian last week to order his release from custody. The Office of the Prosecutor-General told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Friday that a prosecutor overseeing a criminal investigation into the March 29 incident has dismissed the appeal as unfounded.
Vardapetian on Thursday refused to meet with a group of Minasian’s supporters who rallied outside the prosecutors’ headquarters in Yerevan to call for the young man’s release. Ombudswoman Anahit Manasian appeared to add her voice to those calls.
The church was packed with worshippers when Pashinian unexpectedly arrived there with his bodyguards who cleared the way for his passage. A visibly annoyed Minasian told them not to push him and said he wants to keep “standing in the middle” of the church.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he then told Pashinian before stretching a hand towards his shoulder.
Minasian was punched and knocked down by one of the bodyguards. He was arrested and charged with hooliganism and obstruction of Pashinian’s “political activities” shortly after the premier left the church amid angry cries from other believers. The young man was injured in the head and suffered concussion, according to his lawyers.
Later that day, police detained another high school student who is said to have spat at Pashinian’s limousine. He was charged with hooliganism but freed two days later.