Civil disobedience to prevent Pashinyan's trip to Moscow 'stifled' as opposition activist arrested amid attempt to block highway to Yerevan airport

A member of the governing board of the opposition Homeland party was held by the police on Monday morning in what the political force later described as an "illegal arrest" aiming to halt an attempted civil disobedience campaign to prevent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's trip to Moscow.

Pashinyan is travelling to the Russian capital today to meet with the  Azerbaijani leader in a trilateral summit to be hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Many citizens tried to block the highway to the Zvartnots Airport today to prevent the entry of Pashinyan, the traitor not authorized by our society, into the airport premises and later also - his flight to the Russian Federation where a meeting with [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev is scheduled. The police forces have illegally arrested Arsen Babayan, a member of the Homeland party's board, who was among the citizens tthat had taken to the street to prevent yet another anti-Armenian action by the traitor. "

"Considering the illegal actions by the police as the execution of a direct order - and hence also an constituent part of a treacherous act - by Pashinyan, the Homeland party demands that all the arrested persons be immediately released," reads a statement issued shortly after the incident.

In comments to Tert.am, sources from the Public Relations Department of the Police said Babayan was arrested "as part of materials currently under preparation".