Yerevan’s Court of General Jurisdiction today rejected an appeal to release former army general Manvel Grigoryan on bail.

 Grigoryan, a former MP and ex-head of the Yerkrapah Union, was detained on June 19, 2018, 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.

Presiding Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan had earlier rejected a motion filed by Grigoryan’s defense team that he recuse himself.

Defense attorney Levon Baghdasaryan had argued that the judge, by continuing to hear the case in the absence of Grigoryan, had violated his client’s right to be heard in court.