Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on the criminal case against the mayor of Gyumri. She emphasized that "arguments in favor of cooperation with Russia cannot be qualified as a call to undermine sovereignty."
Zakharova pointed out that integration into the European Union inevitably entails a limitation on the sovereignty of member states. However, the diplomat noted that no cases have been initiated in Armenia against supporters of European integration.
Meanwhile, the number of defendants in the case of mass unrest in Gyumri, Armenia's second-largest city, on the day of the arrest of Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has reached 43. Twenty-six people have been arrested, 15 have been placed under house arrest, and another is under administrative supervision.
The unrest occurred on October 20 in front of the mayor's office during the arrest of Vardan Ghukasyan. The court sentenced him to two months' detention on charges of bribery.
Ghukasyan was later charged with "public calls to renounce Armenia's sovereignty." The defense considers the charges politically motivated, citing the mayor of Gyumri's statements in favor of a union with Russia while preserving Armenia's sovereignty.
