Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan disagreed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement regarding the arrest of Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. Lavrov stated that Ghukasyan was arrested for his political views.
Mirzoyan rejected this assertion, stating that politically motivated prosecutions are not practiced in Armenia and that such comments constitute interference in Armenia's internal affairs.
"The information voiced by Mr. Lavrov is untrue: there are no criminal prosecutions for political activity in Armenia. Even if such a situation were to occur, commenting on it would constitute interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Armenia," Mirzoyan stated in parliament.
Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Armenia's second-largest city, was arrested last year on charges of bribery, followed by a new charge of "publicly calling for the renunciation of Armenia's sovereignty." The mayor's defense considers the charges politically motivated, recalling his statements in favor of a union with Russia while maintaining Armenia's sovereignty.
