Message from Arrested Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan from Prison

Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Gyumri, who is currently imprisoned, has sent a letter from jail expressing gratitude to the citizens of Gyumri and various regions of Armenia who participated in the protests held in Gyumri on October 20.

In the letter, he praised the peaceful nature of the protests, emphasizing that the participants gathered near the city hall and in Vardanants Square "under the bells of two holy churches of the Armenians." Ghukasyan condemned the clashes that occurred and the use of force by the police.

The mayor also noted that, according to his information, the first instance court in Shirak region continually approves detention requests presented by investigators concerning around fifty individuals.

Ghukasyan expressed his support for all those arrested and for those who, in his words, have become targets of "trumped-up charges." At the end of his letter, he assured that the work of the Gyumri city hall would continue with his team, stressing, "Both hope, faith, and love."