General Court of Yerevan's Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeitun Administrative districts has satisfied the petition of the Investigative Agency and chose two months of arrest as a measure of restraint against Zhirayr Sefilyan, Artsakh war hero and initiator of New Armenia movement.
Sefilyan's lawyer Ara Zakaryan says Sefilyan has so far faced charges over illegal acquisition, sale, keeping and transporting weapons. The law says the investigation has no proofs that he intended to seize the government building, television and other facilities. "I think all this pursues one goal - to discredit Sefilyan," he said.
The Investigate Committee of Armenia has filed charges against Artsakh war hero and initiator of New Armenia movement Zhirayr Sefilyan under Article 235.2 of the Armenian Criminal Code (illegal acquisition, sale, keeping, transportation of firearms, ammunition, cartridges, and explosives). The Investigative Committee has requested the court to choose arrest as a measure of restraint against Sefilyan. The Committee says that under the case 9 people, including Sefilyan, have been detained as defendants and 1 has been put on the wanted list. To note, Article 235.2 of the Armenian Criminal Code implies imprisonment for 2-6 years.
On June 20, 2016, Zhirayr Sefilyan was detained on suspicion of organizing a criminal group. 8 persons face charges of acquisition and keeping of weapons and ammunition. 6 have been arrested and 1 is wanted. According to the Special Investigative Service of Armenia, Sefilyan and his supporters were planning to seize buildings of state importance in early April.