Leaders of "Stand up, BG!” movement and former MPs Arman Babikyan and Nikolai Hadzhigenov were arrested for 24 hours, after they threw red paint at the sign of the Russian embassy in Sofia.

They commented that by this act they expressed their civil position against the war in Ukraine. Hadzhigenov and Babikyan also said that Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova should be expelled and Bulgaria should send military as well as humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

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The two were handcuffed, put in a patrol car, and detained for questioning, after they refused to present their identity cards to the police. 

About 30 protesters gathered in front of the Police Station where Hadzhigenov and Babikyan were detained. One of them, Valentina Vasileva of the European People's Party commented: "So far we have no information about them. We did something like a protest and poured two cans of red paint on the Russian Embassy." 

Several hours later Arman Babikyan and Nikolai Hadzhigenov were released.