The accused of the terrorist attack against the head of Arbat asked to be acquitted and released.

Varazh Manukyan, accused of committing a terrorist act (listed in the register of extremists and terrorists in the Russian Federation), as a result of which the head of the Arbat battalion, Armen Sargsyan, was killed, asked the military court to acquit him and let him go home. This was announced on July 29 by a source from the courtroom.

"Speaking in court with the last word, the defendant reiterated his innocence: he pleaded not guilty, stressing that he had not committed the crimes imputed to him," the source told TASS.

Manukyan also asked the court to acquit him and expressed his desire to return to his family. It is specified that the announcement of the verdict in the criminal case is scheduled for July 30 at 11:00 Moscow time.

Explosion in the housing estate "Alye Parusa": what is known and who was injured

Armen Sarkisyan, head of the Boxing Federation of the DNR and founder of the Arbat volunteer battalion, was seriously wounded.

The explosion at the Scarlet Sails residential complex occurred on February 3, 2025. In addition to representatives of the operational and rescue services, criminologists and investigators arrived at the scene of the tragedy, who subsequently opened a criminal case into the tragedy. On the same day, it became known that Sargsyan was often threatened from Ukraine. The farewell ceremony for the founder of the volunteer battalion took place on February 6, and the funeral took place the next day. The case of the terrorist attack on May 14 went to court. A guilty verdict was passed against Manukyan. The materials of the high-profile criminal case against the defendant will be considered behind closed doors until the end of the trial.