Gyumri Mayor to remain in custody

ArmInfo.Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan will remain in custody. During a hearing on April 20, the Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia rejected the defense's motion to change the official's pretrial detention to house arrest.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, the politician's lawyer,  Aramayis Hayarpetyan, said that a decision on whether to appeal the  ruling will be made once the defense has reviewed the written  version. He also suggested that the "political overtones" of the case  prevented the court from changing Ghukasyan's pretrial detention. "We  petitioned to change the pretrial detention to house arrest, but the  court ruled otherwise," the lawyer said.