Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Gyumri, Armenia's second-largest city by population, has been charged with new statements regarding his comments on a possible union with other states. Investigators have characterized these statements as "public calls to renounce the country's sovereignty" (Article 422, Part 2 of the Armenian Criminal Code). The defense claims the charges are politically motivated, citing international norms.
In prison No. 1 in Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk region), the health of Yashar Muedinov, a Crimean Tatar sentenced to 13 years in prison, has worsened.
The prisoner's wife, Naile Ibragimova, said that the man's legs began to swell. He suspects varicose veins, but he cannot yet undergo a medical examination, since it requires an application to the prison administration.
In May, Yashar Muedinov stated that prison staff used force against him and exerted psychological pressure on him. He wrote a statement that was signed by ten other prisoners. Yashar Muedinov added that the cell where he is being held is very damp. Because of this, his health has worsened - his right arm has become more painful.
In 2022, the Crimean Tatar was sentenced to 13 years. According to lawyer Lili Gemedzhi, the secret witnesses in the case, who spoke under pseudonyms, were not acquainted with the defendant. The defense tried to prove the groundlessness of the charges brought against them.
The political prisoner was accused of terrorist activity and an attempt to seize power. He did not plead guilty and considers his persecution to be political, since he criticized the authorities of the Russian Federation and Crimea after the peninsula was annexed by Russia.