“All Interpol member states were notified on cancelling international arrest warrant” – police clarify Armenian MP incident in Rome

Armenian law enforcement released a statement regarding the incident involving Armenian opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan in Italy.

The lawmaker had earlier said on social media that Italian police have breached into his hotel room and attempted to detain him because he is wanted by Interpol – an apparent mix-up that happened after he was declared wanted in 2008 for his role in the Yerevan unrest.

In the statement, Armenian authorities clarified that they had notified Interpol’s HQ in 2009 to cancel the arrest warrant for Pashinyan, as the lawmaker had turned himself in on January 7 that year. All member states of Interpol were notified on the cancellation by the HQ.

“Armenian Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook that Italian police have “besieged” his hotel room in Rome in order to arrest him. According to Pashinyan, the basis for the police action was the fact that he was wanted by Interpol in 2008.

On 01.08.2009, after Nikol Pashiyan turned himself in to Armenian authorities, the National Office of Interpol in Armenia had notified the Interpol HQ to cancelling the international arrest warrant, and then the HQ notified all member states”, the police said in a statement.

Pashinyan posted photos on his Facebook account showing Italian police officers in his hotel room.