Authorities Fabricated Case Against Arush Arushanyan, Claims Brother of Shurnukh Mayor

"We have expectations from the court. After all, human mechanics must work, and this guy (referring to Arush Arushanyan - ed.) must be released. This was stated today, November 5, during a conversation with reporters near the Goris court of general jurisdiction in Syunik region by Ararat Aghabekyan (Ashkharabak), brother of the Shurnukh community leader.

It should be noted that the court is examining the issue of lifting the ban on meetings for Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan, as well as changing his pre-trial detention conditions.

"What has happened is well-known to everyone; there is no need to keep our guy in custody for so long. We all understand how these fabricated charges came about. They should stop. We also have values and have been able to choose our dignified representative according to those values. Perhaps the authorities are afraid; that is characteristic as well. The more a person fears, the more unnecessary actions he will take due to that fear. Everything has been slandered, fabricated, and pocketed by them, and for me, the least forgivable is that they stood up and said that Arushanyan did not participate in military operations and was not in Jabrayil. They shouldn’t have said that. And how many commanders have been slandered, fabricated against, and had their pockets stolen? That is our value; a person has acted, at least do not deny what he has done. They are acting short-sightedly," he said.

Ararat Aghabekyan added that if the weather is good, he will take one to show Kachal Mountain and how the Turks have fortified themselves there. "Tomorrow they can just as easily come and sit on the next mountain. No one is dealing with these matters. If you listen to the authorities, even our place here is Azerbaijani. They might even pass a law saying that those who carry weapons to commit armed offenses against brotherly Azerbaijan will be imprisoned for 7-9 years, while those who have taken weapons but did not go will face five years, and those avoiding service will receive support of $10,000 from the state. It is impossible to live safely alongside a Turk. Back during the Soviet era, for many years when the 'PAZ' bus was traveling along the Goris-Kapan road, the Turk's churl would throw stones. What would they do today?" he stated.

The brother of the Shurnukh mayor announced that many people who voted for the ruling party in the elections came to sign the petition for Arush Arushanyan's release. "This means they have rebooted their minds," he concluded.