YEREVAN. – The Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia on Tuesday issued its verdict in the case into Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) former Defense Minister and Defense Army Commander Samvel Babayan and several others.

Accordingly, the court rejected the appeals by the attorneys of defendants Babayan as well as Armen Poghosyan and Sanasar Gabrielyan, and it upheld the ruling of the first instance court, the Armenian NEWS.am reporter informed from the scene.

The court of first instance had found Samvel Babayan guilty of orchestrating smuggling of arms into Armenia and sentenced him to six years in prison. Gabrielyan and Poghosyan, on the other hand, were sentenced to three and two years, respectively, in connection with this smuggling case.

According to the indictment, Babayan had prompted a group of people to illegally purchase, transport and store Igla missile system, and he had acquired unlawful property in exchange.

Seven defendants were standing trial. Three of them—Samvel Babayan, Armen Poghosyan, and Sanasar Gabrielyan—are under arrest, whereas a signature bond to not leave Armenia was selected as a precautionary measure for the other four defendants.