YEREVAN. – The Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia on Tuesday denied the appeal which the attorney general’s office had filed, and upheld the first instance court decision to deny the Special Investigation Service (SIS) petition that former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Secretary of the National Security Council Armen Gevorgyan be remanded in custody.

As reported earlier, on December 14, 2018 the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction denied the SIS’s petition that Gevorgyan—who was serving as Secretary of the National Security Council during the events that occurred in downtown Yerevan, in March 2008—be remanded in custody. Subsequently, the Prosecutor General’s Office appealed this ruling.

Also, the defense partially appealed this court decision. Gevorgyan’s attorney motioned that the Criminal Court of Appeal leave the first instance court decision in force and, also, consider substantiated the absence of the reasonable suspicion which the Criminal Code specifies.

On December 12, 2018 several new criminal charges were filed against Gevorgyan; they are: taking a very large bribe by an official, committing very large-scale money laundering, and aiding in breaching Armenia’s constitutional order.

Gevorgyan was already charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the criminal case into the tragic events that occurred in Yerevan, in March 2008.

The investigative agency had enforced a signature bond to not leave Armenia as a preventive measure for him.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.