Davit Tonoyan, the former defense minister of Armenia who is currently facing corruption charges, avoided criticizing the Armenian government on Tuesday, just days after being released from jail amid his ongoing trial.
Despite maintaining his innocence, Tonoyan appeared to dismiss the idea of joining the Armenian opposition to campaign for the removal of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
When asked by journalists whether he might participate in antigovernment protests in Yerevan, Tonoyan responded, “Do I give the impression of being such an unserious person?”
The 56-year-old added, “I don’t yet have a desire to engage in politics. Not yet.”
Tonoyan was arrested in September 2021 as part of a criminal investigation into the supply of allegedly outdated rockets to Armenia’s air force. The National Security Service (NSS) charged him, along with two generals and an arms dealer, with fraud and embezzlement that allegedly cost the state nearly 2.3 billion drams ($5.7 million). All the accused, including former army chief of staff Artak Davtian, have denied the charges since the trial began in January 2022.
In November, Tonoyan claimed that his arrest was decided during a meeting chaired by Pashinyan. He went further in February, accusing the prime minister of personally orchestrating what he described as his political persecution.
On August 15, the judge overseeing the lengthy trial agreed to release Tonoyan on bail. Prosecutors have not yet clarified whether they will appeal the decision.
When speaking to the press on Tuesday before the latest court hearing, Tonoyan avoided answering political questions, even refusing to say whether he still believes his imprisonment was politically motivated.
Instead, the former minister continued to deny the charges against him, insisting that the more than 4,000 air-to-surface rockets supplied to the Armenian military during his tenure were and remain functional.
The NSS and prosecutors argue that the rockets were either not used during the 2020 war with Azerbaijan or were decommissioned beforehand. Citing state secrets involved in the criminal case, they have ensured that the trial is conducted behind closed doors.
Tonoyan was appointed defense minister by Pashinyan shortly after the latter came to power in 2018. He was dismissed following Armenia’s defeat in the six-week war with Azerbaijan.
