Davit Hambardzumyan released from courtroom

PanARMENIAN.Net - The verdict issued by the Yerevan Court of First Instance in the case of former Masis mayor Davit Hambardzumyan has been overturned and the case has been sent back for a new trial. The decision was made by the Criminal Court of Appeal, chaired by Harutyun Petrosyan.

The court also revoked the house arrest imposed on Hambardzumyan, replacing it with administrative supervision. He was released from the courtroom following the ruling, Sputnik Armenia reported.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Hambardzumyan said they would definitely appeal the court's decision because he had expected a full acquittal.

"A new trial will take place. I did not commit this crime," Hambardzumyan said.

The ruling also overturned the verdict concerning Hambardzumyan's brother, Gor Hambardzumyan, whose case will likewise be reconsidered in a new trial.

Hambardzumyan was sentenced to six years in prison in October. The following day, he wrote on social media that there was no evidence supporting the charges against him, that he was abroad on a business trip, and that he had no intention of fleeing. He had been charged over an alleged attack on participants in a protest at the Hayanist-Hovtashat crossroads on April 22, 2018. Hambardzumyan was initially detained and later released on bail of 5 million drams. In 2019, Armenia's Investigative Committee dropped the mass disorder charges against him due to a lack of evidence of a crime. He remained charged with hooliganism involving the use of a weapon or an object used as a weapon.