ArmInfo. Vardan Ghukasyan, the head of the Gyumri community, whose powers have been suspended, has been transferred from the Republican Medical Center to a penitentiary institution (PII) in Yerevan, located in the Kentron administrative district. His lawyer, Zaruhi Postanjyan, announced this on her Facebook page.
She also noted that the medical examination results obtained by her client are inconsistent with the conclusion, and, accordingly, such a move by law enforcement is a crime aimed solely at ensuring a lethal outcome. The lawyer also reported that there was no doctor present at the penitentiary institution, only a nurse, who declined to discuss Vardan Ghukasyan's health. According to her, the Center for Penitentiary Medicine, a state-run non-profit organization headed by Kamo Manukyan, who was not present, is responsible for the health of those held in this facility. Postanjyan noted that the prisoner, who suffers from serious heart conditions and type 2 diabetes, is not receiving the necessary medical care.
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 - maximum penalty up to 5 years in prison).
On December 17, the court extended Vardan Ghukasyan's pretrial detention for another three months. On January 1, 2026, lawyer Zaruhi Postanjyan published a notice from the investigator stating that the prosecution initiated against Gyumri Mayor Vardan for calling for the renunciation of sovereignty was unfounded. According to the notice, Ghukasyan's actions did not constitute a crime, and therefore the criminal proceedings were to be terminated.
In early January 2026, Ghukasyan was hospitalized for the necessary medical examination.
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