A court in Moscow arrested an Armenian citizen for 15 days for a ritual at the Eternal Flame with a knife and fittings to “express feelings for ancestors”

The Tverskoy District Court of Moscow arrested for 15 days Armenian citizen Gumedin Balasanyan, who was conducting a ceremony to “express feelings for his ancestors.” This was reported by TASS, information was also published on the court’s website.

Balasanyan was found guilty under the article of petty hooliganism (part 2 of article 20.1 of the Administrative Code). He was detained on the afternoon of February 12; according to security forces, he came drunk to the Eternal Flame in the Alexander Garden, took out a folding knife and a piece of rebar, after which he began to loudly swear and wave his arms, despite the comments of the police. TASS writes that after this the man began to read something similar to a prayer.

Later, Balasanyan was detained by law enforcement officers, they took him to the Kitay-Gorod police department and drew up a report. The Armenian citizen himself said that he did not swear or wave his arms. He took out a knife and a piece of reinforcement, “showing repentance and expressing feelings for his ancestors.”