Former Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan Released on $39K Bail After Two Years in Jail

Davit Tonoyan, Armenia’s former defense minister during 2020 war, has been granted bail after spending nearly two years in jail. A court in Yerevan approved the bail request, setting the amount at 15 million drams (over $38,000). This ruling by the anti-corruption court marks a significant development in a case that has drawn national attention.

Tonoyan served as Armenia’s defense minister from 2018 to 2020, a period that included the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh in late 2020. His tenure ended shortly after the war, which saw Armenia suffer severe losses. Nearly a year after his dismissal, in September 2021, Tonoyan was arrested on charges of supplying faulty ammunition to the Armenian armed forces.

The National Security Service (NSS) accused Tonoyan and several other officials, including defense contractor David Galstyan, of embezzling large sums of money and endangering public safety by providing defective weapons. The specific case involves the purchase of missiles produced between 1985 and 1991, which were found to be faulty and unusable.

Despite knowing about these issues, the missiles were allegedly bought and delivered to the military, with some failing to fire and others being deemed too dangerous to use.

Tonoyan and his co-defendants, including Galstyan, have denied the charges against them, with Tonoyan describing the case as a form of “political persecution.” Since his arrest, Tonoyan has repeatedly sought changes to his detention conditions, but until now, all his requests had been denied. His trial began in January 2022, and throughout the proceedings, Tonoyan has maintained his innocence, insisting that he is being scapegoated for Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war.

The NSS investigation has also implicated other high-ranking officials, including the head of the Armenian armed forces’ aviation department and Deputy Chief of General Staff Stepan Galstyan. The investigation continues, with the NSS conducting large-scale inquiries to uncover all individuals involved in the alleged crimes.

In 2022, Tonoyan was permitted to testify before an ad hoc parliamentary commission investigating the causes of Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the commission’s process, questioning its impartiality and refusing to participate in any closed-door sessions. Tonoyan also challenged Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to join him in an open session, where he promised to reveal “surprise revelations” about the war.

The commission’s work has been contentious, with opposition parties boycotting its sessions from the start. The commission has already questioned several former and current military and government officials, but its proceedings have been largely closed to the public, fueling suspicions of bias and political manipulation.

The court’s decision to grant Tonoyan bail is a majort turn in a case that has been closely watched in Armenia. The bail decision may allow Tonoyan to participate more actively in his defense and in public discussions about the 2020 war and its aftermath. However, the charges against him remain serious, and the trial is expected to continue as the court examines the evidence presented by both the prosecution and defense.

Tonoyan’s release on bail also raises questions about the broader implications of his case, particularly in the context of Armenia’s political and military leadership. As the investigation continues, and as the parliamentary commission wraps up its work, more details may emerge about the circumstances leading to Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war and the role played by key figures in the government and military.