Supporters of the Sasna Tsrer armed group today closed off the Yerevan-Gyumri highway, and they demand the release of Sasna Tsrer members Armen Bilyan and Smbat Barseghyan who are still in custody.

"They are not murderers; they have exercised their natural right to revolt, which is the moral right of every citizen," they declared, in particular. "Rebels are invincible before the law, and they must be released."

As reported earlier, the court hearing on the case of the Sasna Tsrer armed group is currently in progress in Yerevan.

Currently, defendants Armen Bilyan and Smbat Barseghyan, who are charged with murdering police officers, are still in custody.

After the revolution in Armenia in 2018, and based on the personal pledges submitted by MPs, the pretrial measure of custody that was in force for seven other members was commuted and they were released, while Sasna Tsrer member Pavel Manukyan was set free on a 1mn-dram bail.

In protest of the then authorities, the Sasna Tsrer armed group took over a police patrol regiment building in Yerevan and held hostages, but later surrendered in July 2016. Three police officers, however, were killed during the two-week standoff.

Criminal charges have been brought against 32 people in connection with this incident and related developments.