Constitutional law expert comments on new charges against Gyumri  mayor 

ArmInfo.  Calling for a union or alliance with any international organization or another state can be considered a crime-yet another manifestation of double standards and biased and selective justice. Constitutional law expert Gohar  Meloyan wrote this on her Facebook page, referring to the new charges  brought against Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. 

"If a call or proposal for an alliance with Russia is qualified by  the investigative body as a call to renounce the sovereignty of the  Republic of Armenia, and a criminal case has been opened against  Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan under Article 422 of the RA Criminal  Code (Public calls for the seizure of power, violation of territorial  integrity, renunciation of sovereignty, or violent overthrow of the  constitutional order), then, by the same logic, any call for  accession to the European Union or any regulatory legal act adopted  in this direction, including the adoption of the Law of the Republic  of Armenia 'On the Initiation of the Accession Process to the  European Union,' should be subject to the same legal assessment:  criminal prosecution," Meloyan stated.

According to the expert, it is clear that Armenia's accession to the  EU signifies a certain transfer or limitation of sovereignty in favor  of EU institutions. She added that, moreover, under this  "jurisdiction," joining the Council of Europe was a crime, since  Armenia had committed itself to accepting the jurisdiction of the  European Court, thereby limiting its sovereignty.

"Or ratifying the Statute of the International Criminal Court was a  crime, since Armenia accepted the jurisdiction of the International  Criminal Court over crimes committed on its territory. Therefore,  calling for the formation of an alliance or union with any  international organization or another state cannot be considered a  criminal offense, since membership in any union, alliance,  organization, and often the ratification of an international treaty,  imply a certain cession of sovereignty. However, when law enforcement  agencies unilaterally apply the Criminal Code, applying it only to  political opponents of the government, it becomes clear that these  actions are not based on the rule of law and justice, but on  political revenge," Meloyan concluded.

As a reminder, eight employees of the Gyumri City Hall, led by Mayor  Vardan Ghukasyan, were arrested on charges of large-scale bribery.  Ghukasyan has been remanded in custody for two months. Later, human  rights activist Ruben Mkhitaryan, a member of the "Po-Nashi"  movement, was also arrested, along with approximately two dozen other  citizens detained near Yerevan City Hall on charges of "obstructing  law enforcement." Furthermore, on October 26, it was reported that  Ghukasyan had been charged with calling for the renunciation of  sovereignty for his support of joining the Union State with Russia  and Belarus. It should be noted that on October 1, speaking in the  Armenian parliament, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Ghukasyan  of vote-buying and called his election as mayor a misunderstanding,  promising to "rectify this situation."