Gyumri mayor’s detention extended by 3 months

PanARMENIAN.Net - The detention of Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has been extended by another three months, Radar Armenia reports, citing a court decision.

Members of the opposition Hayastan parliamentary faction — MPs Mher Melkonyan, Garnik Danielyan, and Gegham Manukyan — submitted a motion requesting a change in Ghukasyan’s pre-trial detention. Renowned actor Levon Harutyunyan also joined the motion.

At today’s hearing in the Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Judge Levon Petrosyan, the prosecution stated that the conditions justifying Ghukasyan’s detention remain valid.

On October 20, law enforcement officers stormed Gyumri’s Municipality to detain Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. Authorities later announced that eight individuals were arrested on charges of accepting and offering large-scale bribes by a group of officials. Ghukasyan was initially detained for two months. He was later also charged for statements allegedly supporting forming a union with foreign states.