At the first court hearing in the case of Arthur Avanesyan, Artsakh war hero known as Kandaz, head of the security team of the Strong Armenia party and a reconnaissance veteran, the court replaced his pretrial detention with house arrest, Aysor.am reported.

During the hearing, presided over by Judge Sargis Dadoyan, the prosecution requested that Avanesyan's detention be extended by three months.

According to the prosecutor, the risk of obstructing the investigation remains, which, in the prosecution's view, justified extending the detention, Panorama.am reported.

Defense attorney Roman Yeritsyan argued that none of the individuals involved in the case are dependent on the defendant and therefore there is no risk that he could exert unlawful influence on them. He also stressed that Kandaz is a forcibly displaced person in a socially vulnerable situation and therefore, in his view, should not be placed under house arrest.

Yeritsyan asked the court either not to impose a preventive measure or, if necessary, to choose a less restrictive one, such as a ban on leaving one's place of residence.

Another defense attorney, Aram Vardevanyan, noted that Avanesyan is the only defendant in this criminal case who had been held in pretrial detention.

Responding to journalists in the courtroom, Avanesyan said that house arrest was also unacceptable to him and that he should be free. He added that the conversation heard in the audio recording published by the investigative authority had taken place in February, well before the election campaign.

Asked whether the opposition should take up its parliamentary mandates, he replied: "It is not yet time for mandates. There is still action to be taken."

He declined to answer further political questions, joking that if he did, he might be arrested again.

Arthur Avanesyan has been charged in two counts of vote-buying.