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The residents of Echmiadzin, a town in Armenia’s Armavir Province, continue protests against the release of Manvel Grigoryan, a retired general of the Armenian army and a former Republican lawmaker, since Saturday morning.

The protesting crowed have blocked up the traffic on the Yerevan-Armavir highway’s access to the town, only allowing ambulances to pass through the blockade.

One of the protesters said that they are in favour of the justice that should be restored, voicing a strong resistance against Grigoryan’s residence in the town. 

The protests launched on Friday night after the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction released Grigoryan on a bail of 25 million drams. 

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

He is charged with embezzling army supplies and illegally possessing firearms after security agents raided his Etchmiadzin villa to discover and confiscate large quantities of illegally stored weapons, explosives and cars, including military vehicles.

The findings also include canned and preserved food labelled “Not for Sale: Soldier’s Ration”, as well as clothing, hygiene items and medicine donated to servicemen during the 2016 April war.