YEREVAN. – Samvel Babayan—Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) former Defense Minister and Defense Army Commander—does not accept the charges against him. The trial in the case of Babayan and others has resumed today at the Yerevan Court of First Instance.

The court asked the defendants what their position was on the indictment against them. In response, all three defendants said that the charges against them were not understandable.

"The circus continues," Samvel Babayan stated. “Since the indictment is a lie from top to bottom, I don't accept it."

The court proceeded to examine the evidence in the case.

The court of first instance had found Samvel Babayan guilty of acquiring, selling, keeping, transporting, or carrying illegal weapons, ammunition, explosives or explosive devices, and of money laundering, and had sentenced him to six years in prison.

The Court of Appeal had upheld the first-instance court decision, but the Court of Cassation had overturned it.