By Kristine Aghalaryan, Hrant Galstyan

The brothers Artyom and Edward Vardanyan, arrested on March 23 at Kilimanjaro International Airport when they tried to transport 61 monkeys out of the country, have also been charged with ‘economic sabotage’.

On March 31, a Tanzanian court refused to let the Vardanyans out on bail.

Altogether, seven individuals are charged in the animal transportation case.

“At issue is the fact that they are charged with economic sabotage and bail isn’t applicable, unless, of course, if the matter isn’t appealed at the cassation court,” Swahili newspaper reporter Felix Mwakyembe, who is following the case, told Hetq.

One of the charges, according to the reporter, is being an accomplice to the transport of 61 monkeys valued at $7,320.

During a telephone conversation with Avrora Radio, Artyom Vardanyan said that the monkeys didn’t belong to him but to his friend Artur Khachatryan, owner of the company Zoo Fauna Art.

Vardanyan claims that he only tried to facilitate the transportation of the animals. Khachatryan confirmed this in a press interview and noted that he had all the transportation permits for the animals.

As reported by Hetq, the Vardanyan brothers presented export permits for the animals, but the permits were issued contrary to a ban imposed by the Tanzanian Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Jumanne Maghembe on March 20, 2016.

Top officials in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, who facilitated issuing the permits, have been fired.