Armenian premier’s critic kidnapped

Russian blogger Mikael Badalyan was kidnapped in Armenia’s Goris town after he publicly criticised Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, author of a programme on radio Sputnik Yevgeny Primakov has said.

Badalyan was kidnapped by unknown masked men near a hotel in Goris on September 6. The incident was witnessed by a priest of the Armenian Church, Gazeta.ru reports.

The author of the radio programme was informed by an unnamed source from Yerevan.

A day before the kidnapping, Badalyan harshly criticised the Armenian prime minister on radio Sputnik for the politician’s anti-Russian position.

Primakov expressed hope that the incident was not related to the blogger’s speech in the radio programme.

“I expect that the competent agencies of Armenia will immediately explore the situation and give the public comprehensive and transparent answers regarding Badalyan’s fate and safety,” Primakov said.