Armenia: “Ashot Iron” behind 2021 PM assassination plot sentenced to 2 years

Ashot Minasyan, known as “Ashot Iron” and commander of the Sisakan unit in Armenia, has been sentenced to two years in prison for the possession of weapons.

The Criminal Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s earlier decision to suspend his sentence, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Minasyan was initially arrested in December 2021 over allegations that he was preparing to assassinate Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Authorities reportedly discovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition at the time. He was later released under a travel ban.

In December 2024, a court handed him a suspended sentence of one year and ten months. The appeal court has now replaced the suspended sentence with two years of actual imprisonment.

By Aghakazim Guliyev