The Moscow City Court—the highest judicial body of the Russian capital city—ruled for holding bankrupt Armenian businessman Aram Petrosyan, who charged with taking hostages in a bank in downtown Moscow, in custody until October 24.

The Moskva news agency informed the aforesaid citing the press service of this court.

“The court upheld the Presnensky [District] Court decision,” said the Moscow City Court press officer. “And it did not grant the appeal.”

Petrosyan’s attorney, Stanislav Maltsev, said his client plead guilty, but asked that his precautionary measure be commuted to house arrest.

Even though the bankrupt Armenian businessman was deemed sane, according to preliminary data, the final results of his psychiatric evaluation will be ready at a later date.  

Earlier, it was reported that Aram Petrosyan is kept in a criminal detention hall.

In the evening on August 24, bankrupt Armenian businessman Aram Petrosyan took four people hostage in a Citibank branch in downtown Moscow, and threatened to blow up this branch.

Later, however, he released the hostages and surrendered to Russian law enforcement.  

In addition, it was found out that the object, which he said was a bomb, was fake.

During his interrogation, Aram Petrosyan said he simply wanted to draw attention to his bankruptcy.