On February 20, Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an official note to Belarus regarding the case of blogger Bella Babakhanyan, who had been detained there. Three days later, Belarus responded, stating that Babakhanyan had been sentenced to 15 days in detention and would be released after serving her term.

This was revealed by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a parliamentary Q&A session, responding to MP Alkhas Ghazaryan from the Civil Contract faction, who inquired about the steps taken to protect the rights of the Armenian citizen, reports Armenpress.

“Blogger Bella Babakhanyan’s release was presented by Gagik Tsarukyan as his personal intervention. There was even a public reception at the airport,” the MP noted.

Mirzoyan refrained from commenting on who had arranged such events.

"I do not know who organized the reception, farewell, or any other event. We live in a free country, and everyone has the right to do so. On February 20, the Foreign Ministry officially requested information from Belarus about the Armenian citizen. Three days later, we received a response stating that she had been detained for 15 days and would be released upon completing the sentence," he said.

According to him, the Foreign Ministry does not concern itself with how different individuals present their role in the matter.

“We confirmed that our citizen would be released after 15 days. Beyond that, if someone wants to give flowers to someone, that’s their right—we have no objections,” he added.

Mirzoyan also emphasized that the ministry does not operate based on PR considerations.

“We care about results. Let others take credit if they wish; we are neither envious nor pursuing personal gains. Our priority is the rights of every Armenian citizen,” the minister stated.

He reaffirmed that Armenia’s Foreign Ministry will continue to protect the rights of Armenian citizens abroad using diplomatic and internationally recognized mechanisms, regardless of the country they are in.

Blogger Bella Babakhanyan, who was detained in Minsk and sentenced to 15 days, is now back in Armenia. Speaking to reporters at Zvartnots Airport, she said she still couldn’t believe she had returned. Gagik Tsarukyan’s spokesperson, Iveta Tonoyan, stated that Tsarukyan had assisted Babakhanyan in resolving her legal issues and inviting her back to Armenia, claiming his intervention helped settle the situation.