Armenia’s Criminal Court of Appeals have rejected a motion to overturn a lower court’s decision to extend the detention of Gagik Khachatryan, a former Minister of Finance and State Revenue Committee Chair charged with large-scale embezzlement and abuse of official power.

Khachatryan has been detained since August 27, 2019.

Also detained on the same day, in the same investigation, was Khachatryan’s nephew Garen Khachatryan.

Gagik Khachatryan has refuted the charges levied against him.