The trial of nine individuals, including a former Armenian deputy defense minister, arrested in 2015 on charges of illegal arms possession and planning to overthrow the government in Armenia, was postponed for two weeks.
On December 19, 2015, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) reported that Vahan Shirkhanyan, a former deputy defense minister of Armenia, was arrested on suspicion that he aided and abetted Artour Vardanyan, arrested earlier for organizing the criminal gang.