The Investigative Committee asked a court in Armenia’s second largest city to remand Spartak Ghukasian in pre-trial custody immediately after his arrest and indictment. The court placed him under house arrest instead.
Ghukasian’s lawyer, Aramayis Hayrapetian, said on Friday that even this measure is unjustified and that he will therefore appeal against it to try to have his client freed altogether.
The investigators have still not released details of the criminal case opened by them in April 2024. According to Hayrapetian, the accusation denied by Ghukasian Jr. is based on a complaint filed by a local government employee who claims to be the victim of an alleged extortion attempt. The lawyer said that the employee does not know Ghukasian personally.
Vartan Ghukasian, who is a vocal critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, claimed on Thursday that his son’s arrest is aimed at forcing him to resign or pledge loyalty to the Armenian government. He said he will not cave in.
Ghukasian became mayor in April this year after four opposition groups collectively defeated Pashinian’s ruling Civil Contract party in a local election. The 64-year-old had already governed Gyumri from 1999 to 2012.