Vardan Ghukasian Appeals to Foreign Diplomatic Missions in Armenia

“In recent days, the authorities of Armenia have been more consistently carrying out political reprisals and persecution against the elected mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasian, through various political and forceful means and tools.” This statement was issued by the Communist Party of Gyumri, addressing the diplomatic missions operating in Armenia.

“Political persecution has intensified following Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's public order to apply political pressure against the mayor of Gyumri. This directive was given from the podium of the National Assembly of Armenia. The Prime Minister literally stated that ‘the mayor of Gyumri must be thrown out of the public and political sphere’, which indicates a threat to life and physical existence.

During Nikol Pashinyan's years in power, two Holy Fathers of the Armenian Apostolic Church have been persecuted, and continuous assaults have been carried out against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. People who have expressed their dissent against the Prime Minister and his policies have been imprisoned. This is a systematic policy against freedom of speech, thought, and dissent under the guise of democracy. The fate of the recently murdered leader of the Parakar community is a threat and signal to all opposition mayors.

It is pertinent to recall that on April 2, 2007, while returning from Yerevan to Gyumri, an assassination attempt was made against the mayor of Gyumri, resulting in casualties and severely injured individuals. The attempt to seize the mayor of Gyumri's vehicle by police on October 7, 2025, marks the beginning of the latest orders given by the Prime Minister.

This announcement aims to inform you about the unfolding and evidently developing trend of oppression against the legally elected opposition mayor of Gyumri. This statement is open for signatures from other factions of the Gyumri Council,” the announcement states.