Vardan Ghukasian Provides Details on His Son's Arrest

The Mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasian, has reported that his son was arrested today in the presence of his younger 1.5-year-old child. In an interview with ABC media, Ghukasian stated that the incident occurred near a kindergarten.

“There will be no living in this country. How can one arrest someone in the presence of their child? This is not a state; it acts against its own people. There is nothing like this in the world. We do not know what the end of this will be,” said the mayor.

Ghukasian's son had participated in the trial of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan of the Shirak Diocese, after which he was warned of imminent arrest. According to Vardan Ghukasian, they are also trying to intimidate the residents of Gyumri through his son. “The more they do, the more resolute we will become. They are digging their own graves. Approaching a person who is building a country and creating jobs in this way is a Turkish scheme. I see no other explanation,” he added.

Vardan Ghukasian further noted that his family members have been subjected to pressure for years, saying, “My son has already been arrested and released several times without any evidence. My brother and I have been blocked in our paths. This is yet another manifestation of state repression against ordinary citizens,” concluded Ghukasian.

The Shirak regional investigative department of the RA Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal proceeding against one individual under the fourth part of Article 258 of the Criminal Code (extortion by other means of coercion). This individual has been arrested. The investigation is ongoing, as reported to Auroranews by Investigative Committee spokesperson Kima Avdalyan.