A court in Armenia has upheld the arrest of five young members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) party involved in a brawl in the city of Gyumri at anti-government protests.

"Despite the lack of grounds, the court has upheld the unlawful arrest for five members of the ARF Youth Union of Armenia,” it said on Thursday, adding, “we will overcome these trials too.”

The young opposition activists are accused of assaulting four elderly men, aged between 74 and 84 years old, during a motorcade rally in Gyumri on May 8.

Two other protesters have been charged with hooliganism as part of a criminal probe into the incident.