If I Were Not Ghukasyan's Son-in-Law, I Would Not Be on the Defendant's Bench: Gyumri Deputy Mayor

I do not accept any accusations. If I were not the son-in-law of Vardan Ghukasyan, I believe I would not be on the defendant's bench today. This was stated by Avetis Arakelyan, the Deputy Mayor of Gyumri and son-in-law of Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, in a conversation with reporters near the court. He, along with three others, is accused of organizing unrest in Gyumri on January 21.

He denied allegations that employees of kindergartens and schools were brought to participate in protests in support of Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. “Such repressions have not occurred during any government. I feel that I am being punished for being Vardan Ghukasyan's son-in-law. It's not that I'm afraid of anything; it's normal. Our political views are different, and we will not back down from our beliefs. There are definitely political orders involved here. I have often stated that if I am also detained, we will lead the city to collapse, as it happened in 2024,” he said.

Regarding the governance of the city, Avetis Arakelyan noted, “There are many difficulties, but we are all overcoming them and moving forward. Everything is in our purview. The law enforcement officers took my mobile phone during the search, examined it, looked at my contacts, and then returned it.”

Earlier, it was reported that new charges have been brought against Spartak Ghukasyan and officials from the Gyumri city hall.