YEREVAN. – The court hearing into the criminal lawsuit brought against Lieutenant Colonel Vardan Samvelyan, who had attempted to detonate Armenian capital city Yerevan’s Harsnaqar Restaurant Complex, will commence on September 25, the official website of the judicial department informs. 

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Samvelyan is charged with illegally acquiring, selling, storing, transporting or carrying weapons, ammunition, explosives or explosive devices.

Information was received on July 1 that explosives of unknown origin were found at Harsnaqar Restaurant. A military bag with two grenades, arms, and explosive materials of unknown origin were found in there.

The explosives were brought to the Restaurant by Armenian MOD Lieutenant Colonel Vardan Samvelyan, who had threatened to blow up the place, but after the negotiations, Samvelyan was detained.

To note, an incident had occurred at Harsnaqar Restaurant Complex on June 17, where several military doctors including Edgar Mikoyan, Arkadi Aghajanyan, Garik Soghomonyan, Artak Bayadyan and Vahe Avetyan were brutally beaten by security personnel. And Vahe Avetyan died in hospital on June 29.

Subsequently, a criminal lawsuit was filed and, now, six people are standing trial.

The Restaurant’s owner is ruling Republican Party MP, Football Federation of Armenia President, and businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan, who on July 4 formally submitted his resignation from his parliamentary seat in connection with this incident.