YEREVAN. – The relatives of Armenia’s ex-MP and retired General Manvel Grigoryan, who is receiving in-patient treatment at a civilian hospital in capital city Yerevan, cannot visit him.

Grigoryan’s attorney, Arsen Mkrtchyan, told about the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He noted that the ban on visiting Grigoryan at hospital has not been lifted, whereas they have not submitted a new petition to lift this ban because, as per Mkrtchyan, by doing so, they may harm the ongoing criminal case, and Grigoryan may be taken back to the penitentiary.

The attorney said his client’s health condition has improved, as compared to the previous day. In the legal defender’s words, Grigoryan will remain in the civilian hospital until his condition stabilizes.

Manvel Grigoryan’s attorneys have filed a new motion with the first instance court, and with a request that he be released from custody on bail.

On February 7, a medical consultation was held at the prison where Grigoryan is kept. And as a result, it was decided that he should be transferred to a civilian hospital for a medical examination.

On January 22, the Criminal Court of Appeal granted the attorney general’s office appeal of the first instance court’s decision on releasing Grigoryan from prison on bail, and ruled that he be remanded in custody again.

On December 21, 2018 the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction had released Manvel Grigoryan from custody on an AMD 25mn (approx. US$51,600) bail. The Prosecutor General’s Office, however, had appealed this decision to the Criminal Court of Appeal.

Grigoryan was remanded in custody for the first time on June 19, and by the decision of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction.

He is charged with unlawfully acquiring and possessing weapons and ammunition, as well as committing large-scale embezzlement. In particular, it is about the appropriation of the aid that was sent during the days of the four-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), in April 2016.