Court Hearing on Arresting Gagik Tsarukyan Did Not Take Place

The court hearing regarding the arrest of Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, did not take place today (presided by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan). Neither the defense nor the defendant appeared in court.

According to unofficial information, the defense team was not properly notified. All attempts by our filming crew to verify this information were unsuccessful. Neither the Court of Cassation nor Tsarukyan's defenders responded to phone calls, while the judge's office stated that they were not authorized to provide any information.

It is noteworthy that on July 8, the Court of Appeals of Armenia, under the leadership of Judge Mkhitar Papoyan, annulled the first-instance court's decision not to arrest Gagik Tsarukyan and sent it back for reconsideration. Tsarukyan is accused under Article 154.2 of the RA Criminal Code, which pertains to receiving or giving bribes by the voter in connection with candidates, political parties, or party alliances and obstructing the free expression of the voter's will.