Parliament backs motion to keep Manvel Grigoryan in custody

The Armenian National Assembly overwhelmingly backed today a motion on keeping arrested army General and Republican MP Manvel Grigoryan in pre-trial detention.

The motion filed by Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan received 77 votes in favour and 3 against, with 2 ballot papers declared invalid, Chair of the Counting Committee Gagik Melikyan announced.

Earlier the lawmakers approved the motion on stripping Grigoryan of his parliamentary immunity and launching criminal proceedings against him.

Manvel Grigoryan, a retired general of the Armenian Armed Forces, was arrested on Saturday, June 16 on charges of illegally acquiring arms and ammunition, explosives, as well as appropriating goods, including canned and preserved food, clothing, hygiene items and medicine donated to Armenian soldiers during the 2016 April War.