Another 30 days of arrest for Ernest Vardanyan

The arrest warrant for Ernest Vardanyan was extended for another 30 days, the journalist’s representative at the ECHR Alexandru Postica has told Info-Prim Neo. The lawyer said Ernest Vardanyan’s wife told him that the hearing was held in Tiraspol on July 2. For her part, Irina Vardanyan was informed about the hearing one hour earlier by the ex officio lawyer provided by the Transnistrian authorities. “We are not allowed to the trial. Nobody can tell us what is going on. The ex officio lawyer does not cooperate with Ernest Vardanyan’s family. His wife finds out parts of information like “we have the trial in an hour,” Alexandru Postica said. The lawyer also said that as Vardanyan’s representative at the European Court of Human Rights, he will inform the Court about everything. Ernest Vardanyan was arrested in Tiraspol on April 7 on suspicion he had been spying for Moldova. He faces 20 years behind bars. A Transnistrian TV channel earlier broadcast a recording with Vardanyan admitting his guilt and saying he will cooperate with the investigators. The Moldovan constitutional authorities commented that the journalist made the statements under pressure.