The defense team for Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Gyumri, the second-largest city in Armenia, has demanded his immediate release. His lawyers claim that Ghukasyan's detention for the past 12 days is illegal.
The number of defendants in the case surrounding the mass riots that erupted in Gyumri on October 20 in protest of the mayor's arrest has reached 43. Currently, 26 people are in custody, 15 are under house arrest, and one is under administrative supervision.
Ghukasyan was arrested on charges of bribery, followed by a new charge of "public calls for the renunciation of Armenia's sovereignty." The mayor's defense team believes the charges are politically motivated, citing his statements in favor of a union with Russia while preserving Armenia's sovereignty.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that arguments in favor of cooperation with Russia cannot be viewed as undermining sovereignty.
