Russian-Armenian businessman and benefactor Levon Hayrapetyan, who is under house arrest in Moscow, will welcome in the New Year at home, his close friend Artur Safaryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Hayrapetyan is in a Moscow hospital for already a week; he has bladder cancer, and he also suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.

Levon Hayrapetyan was detained in a Moscow airport on July 15 and subsequently arrested. On July 24, the Russian Federation Investigation Committee brought two criminal charges against him: embezzlement or misuse, and money laundering. On September 12, the Russian-Armenian businessman was charged with fraud, too. On October 3, however, a Moscow district court ruled in favor of releasing Hayrapetyan from prison and placing him under house arrest. Even though Levon Hayrapetyan has health problems, he was kept in prison for a long time. On December 10, Hayrapetyan’s pre-trial detention period was extended for four more months until April 15, 2015.