Prosecutor Rejects Generals' Petition: Ashot Minasyan Will Remain in Custody

The prosecutor has rejected the petition to release Ashot Minasyan, commander of the 'Sisakan' battalion and known as 'Ashot Iron', on personal guarantees. The information was shared by his lawyer, Mihran Poghosyan.

‘The prosecutor, lacking the decision of the Court of Appeals of the Republic of Armenia, meaning not having grounds for detention, has recorded that the petition is subject to rejection. The ruling states that no substantial changes in the factual circumstances have occurred since the court's decision to impose detention as a measure for the accused Ashot Minasyan,’ wrote Poghosyan on his Facebook page.

The lawyer requested the prosecutor's office to prove how they record that the conditions have not changed if they do not have grounds for detention. According to him, Minasyan has been detained and continues to remain in custody at the whim of political power, and the only function of the Prosecutor General's Office is to implement that whim.

It should be noted that Ashot Minasyan was detained on December 1, following a decision made by Judge Tigran Simonian of the Court of Appeals of the Republic of Armenia, which approved the investigator's petition dated November 15, 2020. Minasyan has been charged with preparing to seize power, preparing to commit murder aimed at terminating the activities of a state, political, or public figure, specifically the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, and for committing illegal acts of acquiring and storing weapons and military ammunition with the preliminary agreement of a group of individuals for that purpose.

Former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General- Lieutenant Yuri Khachaturyan, and former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General-Lieutenant Norat Ter-Griqoryants, had provided guarantees regarding the change of Minasyan’s detention measure. Also, the leader of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, General Major of the reserve of the Republic of Armenia, ‘Combat Cross’ first-class order recipient Grigori Khachaturov, and People’s Artist Hrant Tokhatyan had expressed their willingness to act as personal guarantors.