A new court session was held in the anti-corruption case involving Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan and his son Spartak Ghukasyan. Following the hearing, the mayor made a public statement, according to Panorama.am .

“We are clean. My hands are clean. That label doesn’t stick to me,” he said. “But if investigators, prosecutors, and judges are prosecuting me based on orders, they will be held accountable. They destroy people like us just to keep their salaries and feed their families, but they will face God.”

Defense attorney Zaruhi Postanjyan submitted a motion during the session.

“I watched the livestream of the penultimate court session and saw what happened to my client and to Spartak Ghukasyan. Two police officers who were in the courtroom later made false accusations, leading to public criminal prosecution against my client.”

Postanjyan claimed the case was initiated under special orders. “Everything was streamed live. I heard no insults. At the time, Spartak Ghukasyan was under house arrest. But after the incident, the court unjustly imposed pre-trial detention and severely restricted his rights, including banning contact with family members.”

The motion requested that the court ensure the safety of her clients following hearings. “Violence occurred in the courtroom. It was deliberate and based on false accusations,” she said.

The presiding judge responded that ensuring security during transfers and after hearings is the responsibility of relevant authorities, not the court.

“There are designated bodies for that,” the judge stated.

The Anti-Corruption Committee has completed the pretrial investigation into Ghukasyan. He is accused of demanding a bribe via Gyumri’s chief architect in exchange for legalizing an unauthorized building. Spartak Ghukasyan, initially under house arrest, was detained on November 21, 2023, after allegedly making offensive remarks in court, according to the Investigative Committee.