Armenian Criminal Court of Appeals Judge Arsen Nikoghosyan has rejected a second motion, filed by the defense team of former General Manvel Grigoryan, that he recuse himself from the trial as to whether Grigoryan should be rearrested.  

The Criminal Court of Appeals is reviewing a case, brought by the State Prosecutor’s Office, to overturn a  lower court’s decision to release Grigoryan on AMD 25 million bail.

Grigoryan, who heads the Yerkrapah Union (an organization of army vets that promotes itself as a non-profit charity assisting vets and their families), was detained on June 19, three days after employees of the National Security Service (NSS) raided his Etchmiadzin home and a summer resort in Arshaluys, uncovering a large cache of weapons and boxes of donated medical and food supplies and clothing that were destined for Armenian troops during the April 2016 “Four Day War” on the Artsakh frontline.

Also found at Grigoryan’s summer house were boxes of supplies allocated by the Ministry of Defense and clearly marked “For Soldiers”, and not intended for resale.