Oppositionist on Tsarukyan trial: Armenia concentration camp

ArmInfo. Armenia has become a concentration camp - this is evidenced by the processes unfolding in the country today. Garnik Danielyan, a member of parliament of the 8th convocation from the opposition "Armenia" faction, stated this in a conversation with journalists on July 24 outside the building of  the Investigative Department of the State Revenue Committee of  Armenia, where Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia  Party, is being interrogated.

When asked to assess the Armenian authorities' actions against  Tsarukyan, the politician noted that the ruling party in Armenia aims  to keep opposition figures and citizens with opposition views in fear  and imprison them. "An atmosphere of total fear reigns in the  country; holding opposition views has become a criminal offense.  Everything that has happened up to this point, and particularly in  the case of Tsarukyan, is political persecution," he stated.

Danielyan stated that he personally knows Tsarukyan's family and  knows firsthand about his contribution to the Armenian economy. He  credited Tsarukyan with helping to pull the Armenian economy out of  crisis.  "The legal system in Armenia doesn't function; the  presumption of innocence has been abolished. People are arrested at  the behest of one person," Danielyan stated, adding that  international organizations and human rights activists have remained  silent.

The opposition leader noted that ordinary citizens are being deprived  of their livelihoods in broad daylight at the behest of one person.  Danielyan expressed his conviction that if these events are not  stopped, everyone will face the same arbitrary actions unfolding in  the country. "These people are Armenia's enemies. If these  authorities are not removed today, Armenia's economy will be in a  precarious state," he expressed his conviction.

According to him, the government's current actions against businesses  are also driving away foreign investors. Danielyan is confident that  no one will come to Armenia, seeing the investment environment here.  "In the current reality, I cannot say that Armenia has development  prospects," the politician said, wishing freedom to all political  prisoners.

As a reminder, on July 6, Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous  Armenia Party and businessman, was detained and taken to the  Investigative Committee of Armenia. He is accused of organizing fraud  and money laundering on an especially large scale. According to  investigators, between 2022 and 2024, a group operating under his  leadership, under the pretext of developing trade and economic ties  between Armenia and Iran, created joint legal entities with the  participation of Iranian citizens, after which they carried out a  fraudulent scheme, causing damages totaling over $21 million. 

Furthermore, Gagik Tsarukyan faces another charge of illegal hunting.  On July 7, the court granted the prosecution's motion to detain  Tsarukyan for two months. As part of the case, on July 6, law  enforcement agencies conducted searches at more than 70 addresses  associated with Tsarukyan. The doors of all businesses were  subsequently sealed.  On July 16, the Prosecutor General's Office  announced that the Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia had upheld their  claim to transfer Tsarukyan's Arat cement plant to state control. The  nationalization of Tsarukyan's factory began after Armenian Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan threatened to nationalize Gagik Tsarukyan's  business during the election campaign in the Lori region on May 20. 

On July 16, it was also announced that the Multi Wellness building,  owned by Gagik Tsarukyan, had been transferred to the Yerevan  Municipality. And on July 23, law enforcement officers sealed off  some of the pavilions of the Arinj Mall shopping center, which is  owned by Tsarukyan.