Gor Sedrakyan, a candidate from the ‘I Have Honor’ alliance, has been arrested in connection with an electoral bribery case

Gor Sedrakyan, a candidate from the ‘I Have Honor’ alliance, has been arrested. The Yerevan General Jurisdiction Court, presided over by Judge Karen Farkhoyan, approved the motion for Sedrakyan's arrest as a measure of restraint. This was reported to ‘Factinfo’ by lawyer Gayane Papoyan, who added that an appeal against the court's decision will be filed.

As previously reported, on the eve of the snap parliamentary elections, on June 19, Gor Sedrakyan was arrested in connection with an alleged electoral bribery criminal case. On June 20, the day of voting, the Yerevan General Jurisdiction Court judge, Mnatsakan Martirosyan, rejected the lawyer's appeal against the arrest decision, thus making an evidently unfounded ruling, since Gor Sedrakyan could only be arrested after obtaining the CEC's consent.

According to the RA Electoral Code, a person can only be arrested without CEC approval if they are caught in the act of committing a crime or immediately thereafter. During the court hearing regarding the legality of the arrest, the defense raised this issue, but the court found that there was no uncertainty in overcoming immunity, because the arrest occurred immediately afterwards. However, the lawyer argued that this did not correspond to reality.

According to her, it has been substantiated by the materials presented by the investigator that Sedrakyan was not caught committing the alleged act or immediately thereafter, as the criminal case was initiated on June 16. Papoyan stated that according to the descriptive part of the decision to initiate the criminal case, the alleged criminal act was completed on June 14, and Sedrakyan was arrested on June 19. During the period from June 14 to June 19, no factual data regarding the commission of the purportedly dangerous act attributed to Gor Sedrakyan was presented.

“In other words, the prosecuting body itself also substantiates that the act was completed on June 14, the case was initiated on the 16th, and he was arrested on the 19th. How did it turn out that he was immediately arrested?” Papoyan noted, adding that the decision is unfounded and will be appealed.

Before the 72-hour deadline for Gor Sedrakyan's arrest expired, the prosecutor's office submitted a request to the CEC for consent to conduct a criminal prosecution against the candidate and to detain him, which was granted. The prosecuting body has brought charges against Gor Sedrakyan, and a motion for his arrest as a measure of restraint was submitted to the court, which was granted by Judge Karen Farkhoyan.

According to lawyer Gayane Papoyan, Gor Sedrakyan does not accept the charges brought against him and has refused to testify, insisting that the prosecution against him is related to his political activities.