Detention of the brother and nephew of the Catholicos of All Armenians replaced with house arrest
The detention of Gevorg Nersisyan, the brother of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and his nephew, Hambardzum Nersisyan, has been replaced with alternative preventive measures. The decision was made by the Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance of Armavir Province.
The court granted the defense’s motion, ruling that at this stage, alternative measures are sufficient to ensure the proper conduct of the defendants. Both have been placed under house arrest for a term of 3 months, with a bail of 1 million AMD and a ban on absence.
Until the expiration of the house arrest term, the court has prohibited the Nersisyans from communicating with persons involved in the proceedings and from receiving visitors at their place of residence, except for close relatives and legal counsel. They are also prohibited from using other means of communication, except for cases of contacting emergency services, law enforcement, and supervisory authorities.
The defense side presented video recordings in court, claiming they do not show hooliganism or obstruction of the election campaign within the framework of the incident that took place near the Voskehat village administration office. Defense attorneys Smbat Minasyan and Ara Zohrabyan stated that the case is unsubstantiated.
The public prosecutor, in turn, objected, noting that the full volume of evidence has not yet been examined and there is a need for additional interrogation of witnesses.
The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for February 25 at 17:00. Gevorg and Hambardzum Nersisyan are accused of hooliganism and obstructing propaganda. They were detained on November 2, arrested on November 3, and on November 29, the term of their detention was extended by three months.
