Yerevan appellate court denies bail for Manvel Grigoryan

The Yerevan Court of Appeals, presided over by judge Narine Hovakimyan, on Monday rejected an appeal of the attorneys of Manvel Grigoryan, a retired Armenian army general and a former Republican lawmaker facing various criminal charges.

Grigoryan’s lawyers had requested the court to release the former lawmaker on bail, citing his poor health condition.

On 19 June 2018, a Yerevan court ruled to arrest Grigoryan, who had earlier been stripped of his parliamentary immunity.

The ex-MP was freed from pre-trial arrest on 21 December on 25 million drams bail – a ruling appealed by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

On 22 January the Yerevan appellate court ruled to re-arrest Grigoryan. Courts have rejected his bail plea for a few times.

The former lawmaker is charged with embezzlement of army supplies and illegal procurement and possession of firearms and ammunition in large quantities in a prior agreement with his wife, son and several other individuals, tax evasion and extortion.