Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, who is the judge in the case of former president of the Union of Volunteer Land Defenders Manvel Grigoryan and Nazik Amiryan in the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction in Kentron district, denied the motion that Grigoryan’s attorneys had filed for the judge’s self-recusal.

Before the judge had left for the consultation room, Manvel Grigoryan felt bad, and ambulance doctors transferred him to Nairi Medical Center.

Attorney Arsen Mkrtchyan submitted to the court a document of Nairi Medical Center on the health condition of Manvel Grigoryan stating that the accused-on-trial can participate in the trials with the help of oxygen devices and a caretaker.

Manvel Grigoryan showed up at court in a wheelchair and is connected to an oxygen device. When Grigoryan entered the courtroom, he was greeted with rounds of applause from his supporters.

Manvel Grigoryan is charged with keeping illegal arms and ammunition, appropriating assets worth over AMD 101,000,000, avoiding to pay taxes worth more than AMD 1,000,000,000, squandering more than AMD 1,000,000,000 from state funds and organizing the theft of assets worth AMD 37,000,000 through extortion.

Nazik Amiryan is charged with illegally keeping ammunition and explosives in the three houses belonging to her, her husband and son, Arman Grigoryan and committing various types of theft, acting in conspiracy with her husband, son, Arman Grigoryan and other persons not identified through investigation.