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Manvel Grigoryan, a retired army general and a former Republican lawmaker facing criminal charges, is in a life-threatening condition, his lawyer Levon Baghdasaryan insisted at a news conference on Tuesday.

His comments came after the former lawmaker, who also headed the Yerkrapah (Homeland Defender) Volunteer Union, was ‘forcibly’ transferred to the hospital for convicts from Nairi Medical Center where he was receiving inpatient treatment at the expense of his family on Monday night. Grigoryan was unable to attend a court hearing in his and his spouse’s trial today due to health issues, with the hearing rescheduled on 11 June.

The lawyer said Grigoryan was initially transferred to a penitentiary in Yerevan’s Kentron District. After being kept there for two-three hours, he was forcibly moved to the hospital for convicts after the law enforcement authorities realized the penitentiary lacked inpatient treatment conditions.

Baghdasaryan said the defense lawyers sought a meeting with Grigoryan for 4-5 hours but were only allowed to visit him at around 5am on Tuesday.

“Manvel Grigoryan refuse to receive treatment at the hospital for convicts but is illegally kept at the hospital,” he said, unveiling their plans to again apply to the European Court of Human Rights over the issue.

“The person is in a life-threatening condition: shall we wait until the person dies and then look for those responsible? Why we fail to voice some provisions in the criminal case, i.e. how the criminal case against Manvel Grigoryan has been fabricated? A trial is underway and the public will soon know whether the person is guilty or not. The problem concerns the health of a person whose life is in danger,” Baghdasaryan said.

The former lawmaker is charged with embezzlement of army supplies and illegal procurement and possession of firearms and ammunition in large quantities in a prior agreement with his wife, son and several other individuals.

On 19 June 2018, a Yerevan court ruled to arrest Grigoryan, who had earlier been stripped of his parliamentary immunity.

The ex-MP was freed from pre-trial arrest on 21 December on 25 million drams bail – a ruling appealed by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

On 22 January the Yerevan Court of Appeals ruled to re-arrest Grigoryan.