Garnik Danielyan: Pressure on the Armenian opposition will only intensify

ArmInfo. Pressure on the Armenian opposition will only intensify. Former National Assembly member Garnik Danielyan told reporters on November 4 outside the courthouse where the trial of Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan is underway.

According to him, amid this pressure, no political force should sit idly by, waiting for its turn. "Dear political figures, all those who consider themselves the opposition, there are no political prisoners in this country, no leader, no leader. There is real persecution of real opposition figures, and everyone is simply obliged to stand together to protect the rights of every persecuted person," said Garnik Danielyan, adding that this could be an opportunity to unite opposition forces and form a united front to prevent the ongoing processes.

The former MP expressed hope that the opposition will follow this path.

As a reminder, the trial of Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader and prominent businessman Gagik Tsarukyan is in the active hearing stage. Following the completion of the preliminary investigation, the criminal case was transferred to the Yerevan Criminal Court of First Instance, where the first hearing was held on October 15, 2026. Gagik Tsarukyan has been in custody since July 7, 2026, when a court of first instance ordered pretrial detention, which was subsequently extended. The Investigative Committee of Armenia accuses Tsarukyan of large-scale fraud, extortion, and money laundering. According to investigators, the charges relate to fraudulent practices involving customs declarations and documents, resulting in significant losses, including the theft of approximately 8.1 billion drams from Iranian entrepreneurs. Articles related to illegal hunting and large-scale tax evasion were also previously mentioned, but in October, the prosecutor's office reportedly dropped the tax charges. Several other individuals are implicated in the case, including the head of the Multi Group concern, Sedrak Arustamyan and Artur Dallakyan.

In October 2026, the Compulsory Enforcement Service of Armenia, by decision of the Anti-Corruption Court, imposed a large-scale seizure on Tsarukyan's property and assets: approximately 29 real estate properties, including properties in the coastal area of Lake Sevan, 33 vehicles, and 488 units of movable property were seized.

The politician's shares and stocks in 27 of his own companies, as well as the assets of 40 legal entities associated with him, were frozen. Today, November 4, the Avan and Nor Nork Court of General Jurisdiction is scheduled to hold another hearing to consider changing Tsarukyan's pretrial detention and releasing him from custody.

Prosperous Armenia Party and the Public Council for the Defense of Gagik Tsarukyan call the criminal prosecution purely politically motivated. Supporters claim that after the case has been referred to court and the investigation has concluded, the politician's continued detention has no legal or reasonable basis, demanding his immediate release. The defense also claims that Tsarukyan himself is the aggrieved party in the incidents under consideration.