Armenia`s former defense minister spoke out against the arrests of opposition leaders in the country

ArmInfo. All arrests in Armenia, including those of opposition leaders, must be proportionate to the situation. Former Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan stated this in a conversation with journalists on September 1, commenting on the arrests of Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader Gagik Tsarukyan, Armenia's second president Robert Kocharyan, and the criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

He recalled that he himself had once gone through a similar situation and did not consider it the best solution. "I have repeated several times: all arrests must be proportionate to the situation. In other words, I am against this level and volume of arrests in Armenia. "I've been through this myself and don't think this is the best decision during a preliminary investigation or trial," Tonoyan noted.

As a reminder, on July 6, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, 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 created joint legal entities with the participation of Iranian citizens, under the pretext of developing trade and economic ties between Armenia and Iran, after which they carried out a fraudulent scheme, causing damages totaling over $21 million. Furthermore, Gagik Tsarukyan has been charged with illegal hunting. On July 7, the court granted the prosecution's motion to remand Tsarukyan in custody 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. Some were nationalized by the state.

On August 25, National Security Council officers searched the apartment of Levon Kocharyan, a member of the opposition Armenia faction and the son of second president Robert Kocharyan, and companies affiliated with the Kocharyan family. Robert Kocharyan and Sedrak Kocharyan were then detained and taken to the Anti-Corruption Committee for questioning. However, Robert Kocharyan's condition, which had undergone heart surgery about two weeks earlier, sharply worsened, and he was hospitalized. Robert Kocharyan was charged that same day with large-scale money laundering, abuse of office, and accepting a large bribe. Nine other individuals were also charged in the case. On August 27, the Anti-Corruption Court ordered Kocharyan's arrest for two months.