Robert Manukyan, brother of 'Bottle Melo', to be re-arrested

The Court of Appeals has granted the prosecution's request and has made a decision to re-arrest Robert Manukyan, the brother of former Member of Parliament Melik Manukyan, known as 'Bottle Melo'. Aravik Khachatryan, head of the public relations department of the General Prosecutor's Office, confirmed this information in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

“Robert Manukyan's attorney had submitted a request to the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction for his release on bail. The court had approved that request. Afterward, the prosecution appealed to the Court of Appeals to contest the decision,” she stated.

Khachatryan noted that the Appeals Court deemed the application of bail to be inadmissible and made a decision to re-arrest him.

It is worth reminding that explosive materials were previously placed under the bridge located at the 15th kilometer of the Yerevan-Sevan highway, which was detonated on August 2, 2019, around 12:30 PM, during the passage of 'Bottle Melo's' Range Rover and accompanying Nissan and Patrol vehicles. The explosion damaged the vehicles traveling on the road, namely, the Range Rover with the license plate 555 LL 05 belonging to the former MP, and the Nissan with the license plate 35 MD 686, which was carrying his bodyguards at the time of the explosion.

Later, a citizen left the scene in one of the damaged vehicles without the permission of the law enforcement officers present. He did not comply with the legal demands of the police. As a result of the measures taken, the vehicle was found and returned to the site shortly afterward. The citizen who had left the scene was located and arrested.

Robert Manukyan was taken into custody and arrested on August 3. He was charged with committing violence against a representative of the authorities and obstructing the administration of justice and the investigation following the explosion on the Yerevan-Sevan highway.