Court extends Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan`s pretrial detention for another three months

ArmInfo. The court has extended Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan's pretrial detention of for another three months.

During the court hearing, the prosecutor filed a motion to extend the  pretrial detention, stating that the grounds for the previously  applied preventive detention remain in effect.

The defense also filed motions to annul Ghukasyan's arrest, arguing  that  it was unlawful and incompatible with his health.

It should be noted that today, three members of parliament from the opposition "Armenia" parliamentary faction—Mher Melkonyan, Garnik Danielyan, and Gegham Manukyan—presented guarantees for Ghukasyan's arrest to be replaced by pretrial detention. Actor Levon Harutyunyan also joined the guarantors.

As a reminder, Vardan Ghukasyan was arrested on October 21 in connection with a bribery case, and on October 26, his lawyers announced a new case against him for "public calls to renounce Armenia's sovereignty" in connection with his statements about a union with Russia and Belarus. On November 21, it was announced that Vardan Ghukasyan had been charged with a third offense, under Article 297 of the country's Criminal Code (hooliganism committed by a group of persons using information or communication technologies—the maximum penalty is up to five years in prison).