EREVAN – Armenian opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan, one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen, was arrested Friday for two months before a vote-buying trial in the 2017 parliamentary elections.
Tsarukyan, leader of the Armenia Prosperous Party, the largest faction in parliament at the time, denied any wrongdoing, the rates of the criminals who opposed him were political.
Parliament stripped Tsarukyan of his immunity in June, allowing him to be arrested. The national security service raided his house and him.
“He’s politically motivated. They will be responsible for their decision,” Tsarukyan said Friday night at the national security service. “Before long, everything will be back in place. “
His arrest was ordered through Yerevan General Court on allegations of misconduct in the 2017 elections, which preceded a nonviolent revolution.
Prosperous Armenia, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the new Homeland Party, led by former national security leader Artur Vanetsyan, said this week that they were making plans for a mass demonstration on 8 October.
“The hopes of many other people have not been fulfilled and promises have not been fulfilled in the last two years,” the filthy and wealthy Armenian spokeswoman Iveta Tonoyan told reporters on Tuesday. “There is a lot of public dissatisfaction with the government and with make it heard, we will organize a demonstration. “
Tsarukyan accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his people of mis-administering the economy and not fighting the COVID-19 pandemic well.
Armenia, a country of 3 million inhabitants, recorded 48643 cases of coronavirus and 947 deaths from COVID-19 on Friday, the most affected country in the south Caucasus region.
The economy will contract by 6. 2% this year due to the pandemic, reversing last year’s 7. 6% expansion, according to central bank forecasts.
Pashinyan and his own came to force in May 2018 after the revolution opposed to corruption and friendliness. Tsarukyan lined up with this motion in a moment.
Tsarukyan’s won 26 of 132 seats in the early parliamentary elections in December 2018 after the revolution. Some of its members joined the Pashinyan cabinet, but were temporarily removed (Reporting via Nvard Hovhannisyan; Edited via William Mallard).
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