Chakhalyan to remain under house arrest

PanARMENIAN.Net - The preventive measure of house arrest imposed on Sacred Struggle movement supporter Vahagn Chakhalyan will remain unchanged. The court partially granted the prosecutors’ motion and extended the house arrest for another two months, although prosecutors had requested a three-month extension.

The court fully rejected the defense motion seeking alternative preventive measures. Defense lawyers reminded the court that Chakhalyan is the father of a family. One of his children is a university student whose tuition amounts to 950,000 drams, while his other two children, Gayane and Davit Chakhalyan, are school students with tuition fees totaling 850,000 drams, Sputnik Armenia reported.

Chakhalyan asked the court to allow him to work so he could financially support his family.

“At least let me create some benefit within the Kasakh area, even within a three-kilometer radius. If there are concerns that I might communicate with witnesses in the case, you can restrict those contacts,” Chakhalyan said.

The defense also stressed that they still do not clearly know what Chakhalyan is accused of because a formal indictment has not yet been presented.

During discussions on the preventive measure, a dispute broke out between prosecutors and Chakhalyan’s lawyers. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecutors, as professionals, lacked a clear position of their own, while prosecutors asked the court to be more attentive and prevent insults directed at them.

Archbishop Bagrat also intervened, expressing surprise at what exactly had offended the prosecutors. Artur Sargsyan joined the dispute, urging prosecutors to speak respectfully with the archbishop after they had called on the court to reprimand him. The hearing was adjourned for five minutes.

Vahagn Chakhalyan, head of the “Will” initiative and activist, has been detained since July 5, 2025. On February 26, 2026, his detention was replaced with house arrest combined with a travel restriction.

According to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, participants and leaders of the “Sacred Struggle” movement had planned terrorist acts and actions aimed at seizing power in Armenia.