Gagik Tsarukyan will remain in custody

Yerevan Court of Common Jurisdiction, after examining in a closed session the petition of the prosecution to extend the detention of businessman, “Prosperous Armenia” party leader Gagik Tsarukyan for another 2 months, decided to grant it.

The leader of the opposition PAP, who participated in the parliamentary elections, and whose prime minister threatened to depose him during the pre-election campaign, was arrested a month after the elections. He was charged with particularly large-scale fraud, money laundering, and then tax evasion.

After the arrest of the leader of the opposition party, the government appointed its managers in two of the companies owned by him, “Araratcement” and brandy factories, and the Tsarukyan sports center was taken over by the municipality. The Olympic Committee gymnasium is still closed.

A few days ago, it became known that the Anti-Corruption Court has accepted the prosecution’s claim, which demands to declare invalid the land auction of Tsarukyan’s Arinji mansion, which took place 23 years ago.

In another lawsuit, the Prosecutor’s Office demands to invalidate the auction of the Arinj mall land owned by the Tsarukyans, which took place 11 years ago.

While the government assures that it returns the illegally accumulated property to the state, Gagik Tsarukyan’s teammates consider this a political persecution.