YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS. A suspect in the highly publicized “Nork Marash armed group” case has been set free today by a Yerevan court.

The court set Vahan Shirkhanyan, a former deputy minister of defense, free on bail as the attorney filed a motion which wasn’t objected by the prosecution.

Two MPs from the Yelk faction had filed personal guarantees to the court for the release of the suspect.

Shirkhanyan is suspected in illegal acquisition and possession of firearms and overthrowing the government.

The syndicate, dubbed the Nork Marash armed group, led by Arthur Vardanyan, had planned to overthrow the government at the time of their arrest in 2015.

Armenian intelligence agencies earlier said the syndicate planned to down the presidential aircraft, attack the presidential residence, the governmental HQ, the Parliament Seat, the Constitutional Court building and other state buildings.

Intelligence agencies gathered the information and apprehended all members of the syndicate in November 2015, when national security agents stormed the compound of the syndicate in Yerevan’s Nork Marash district. The location of the compound was the reason why the media dubbed the syndicate – Nork Marash Armed Group.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan