The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the sentences handed down to staff members of the Azerbaijani YouTube channel Toplum TV, describing them as further evidence of the persecution of independent journalists in the country.
A court has ordered a forensic medical examination for the arrested mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan. He has been sent to the Republican Medical Center in Yerevan for examination. The politician's condition is assessed as satisfactory, and there is no immediate threat to his life.
In mid-December, Ghukasyan's pretrial detention was extended for three months. The prosecutor's office cited the risk of him committing further crimes if released. Concerns were also raised regarding potential pressure on witnesses and other participants in the corruption case. Furthermore, a criminal case was opened against Ghukasyan for undermining Armenia's sovereignty due to his statements about the need for a union with Russia. This incident was later removed from the case file.
Previously, Ghukasyan's son, Spartak Ghukasyan, was sentenced to two months' detention on charges of hooliganism committed by a group of individuals using information technology.