Yerevan appellate court overturns arrest of fallen soldier's mother

The Yerevan Criminal Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court decision to arrest Gayane Hakobyan (Azgush Martirosyan), the mother of fallen soldier Zhora Martirosyan, her lawyer Georgi Melikyan said.

Presiding judge Grigori Hovhannisyan decided to replace the custody with house arrest at a hearing in the case on Monday.

Gayane Hakobyan is charged with attempting to “kidnap” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's son, Ashot Pashinyan.

The Shengavit District Court of General Jurisdiction in Yerevan approved the woman’s pre-trial detention for one month on May 20, triggering protests by several dozen other parents of fallen soldiers and their supporters.