New York Times on the Arrest of Gagik Tsarukyan

On Tuesday, the Armenian parliament voted in favor of stripping the country's largest opposition faction leader, Gagik Tsarukyan, of his immunity, allowing for his arrest on suspicion of fraud, reports The New York Times.

“Recently, Tsarukyan accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government of distorting the economy and ineffectively combating the coronavirus pandemic. As of Tuesday, Armenia, with a population of 3 million, has recorded 17,489 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 293 deaths. It is the most affected country in the South Caucasus region. The government now expects the economy to shrink by 2% this year, down from a previously projected growth of 4.9%,” the article notes.

Pashinyan and his party came to power two years ago after a peaceful revolution against corruption. In the parliamentary elections held in December 2018, Tsarukyan's party secured 26 out of 132 seats. Some members of his party joined Pashinyan's cabinet but were soon dismissed from their positions.

The article recalls that Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia party and one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen, has denied any involvement in illegal activities and stated that the government's move is politically motivated.

Tsarukyan is under investigation by the national security service for allegations of vote buying, fraud, and illegal land appropriation. His house was searched last Sunday, and he was interrogated.