Arush Arushanyan Could Lose His Position as Mayor: 'Hraparak'

“The case of Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan was sent to the Cassation Court this April,” stated Arushanyan’s lawyer Davit Karapetyan in an interview with ‘Hraparak’. He added, “I do not want to comment on the case; there are no new developments, and I do not want to provide any evaluations at this moment. Let's wait for the decision of the Cassation Court, and then we will understand.”

It is worth noting that on March 28, 2022, the General Jurisdiction Court of Syunik Province, presided over by Judge Gnel Gasparyan, published the verdict in the case of Arush Arushanyan and others. According to the decision, Arushanyan was acquitted of the alleged electoral crimes, while he was found guilty of another charge and sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison. Taking into account the eight months Arushanyan spent under arrest, the court imposed a final penalty of 6 months imprisonment, which was not enforced conditionally. The court established a probation period of 1.5 years for Arushanyan while also imposing a fine and a five-year ban on holding a local self-government leadership position.

Leaders of the Karahunj settlement, Lusine Avetyan, and two other defendants, Samvel Dinunts and Hrayr Baghdasaryan, were acquitted, while Erik Aghajanyan and Harut Lalazaryan were found guilty.

The prosecutor had demanded in his accusatory speech that Arushanyan be found guilty and sentenced to 9.5 years in prison. However, the court acquitted him of the electoral crimes while conditionally convicting him of the other charge, establishing a probation period. Yet, the most significant aspect of the verdict is the five-year restriction on holding the mayor's office.

Prosecutors filed an appeal demanding that the acquittal be overturned, a new decision be made, and all three defendants, including Arushanyan, be found guilty. The defense also filed an appeal against the verdict, seeking acquittal for the defendants on other charges as well. Nevertheless, the Court of Appeals upheld the first-instance court's decision on March 11, 2024, without changes. Following this, the legal team appealed to the Cassation Court and is awaiting a decision.

If the Cassation Court also denies the appeal and does not overturn the first-instance verdict, Arushanyan will lose his powers as the Mayor of Goris from the moment the decision takes effect.