An Armenian court on Monday set a bail of over $100,000 for a nephew of former President Serzh Sargsyan to be released from remand prison.
Hayk Sargsyan, 33, was arrested on July 11 on charges of attempted murder and illegal arms possession.
The charge of attempted murder was pressed against him after a renewed investigation into a 2007 case in which a Yerevan resident was shot and wounded. Another person claimed at that time to have accidentally fired a bullet at the man from a pistol that he allegedly found in the street. The case was later closed by investigators.
After the court hearing Hayk Sargsyan’s lawyer Yerem Sargsian described the court’s decision as “objective.”
“Of course, I find that there are no grounds for arresting my client at all, but considering the current case, the public interest towards this case and other processes, I find that at least this way the court has somewhat restored justice,” the lawyer said.
Hayk Sargsyan’s elder brother Narek is also facing criminal charges, including the charge of kidnapping a person. He is currently wanted by Armenian law-enforcement authorities.
Also facing prosecution is the ex-president’s second brother, Levon Sargsyan. He and his daughter Ani were charged with “illegal enrichment” after tax inspectors discovered in late June that they hold millions of dollars in undeclared deposits at an Armenian bank.
Ani Sargsyan reported to the Special Investigation Service, the body conducting the corresponding probe, on September 6.
Investigators released Ani under a written pledge not to leave the country for the period of the investigation.
Serzh Sargsyan stepped down as prime minister on April 23 after days of sustained peaceful street protests led by then opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians were angered by Sargsyan’s reneging on his public pledge not to occupy the top government post after completing his 10-year tenure as president. He occupied the prime-ministerial post for only six days.
Pashinian was subsequently elected prime minister. The 43-year-old reformist leader vowed not to wage any “political vendettas”, but warned that his government will take an uncompromising stand in the fight against corruption.