More than 40 people are under investigation following protests in Gyumri.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has opened criminal cases against 41 protesters at the Gyumri City Hall. They are accused of participating in mass unrest and interfering with the course of justice.

As reported by Kavkazsky Knot, an Armenian court arrested 13 participants in the protest in support of opposition Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. Another protester is a minor. The minor detained in this case has been placed under house arrest and under a travel restriction. Among those arrested were Gyumri Council of Elders member Gevork Ghukasyan and lawyer Ruben Mkhitaryan, who have been remanded in custody for two months.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has opened criminal cases against 41 participants in a rally in support of opposition Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. Twenty-four detainees have been arrested, 15 have been placed under house arrest, and one is under administrative supervision, Armenia Today reported, citing the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

Today, lawyer Arnold Vardanyan announced a ban on visiting the arrested Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. Employees of the Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary institution did not allow him to see his client.

"I have been at the institution since 10:00 a.m. to meet with Ghukasyan and provide legal assistance, but I was not allowed in," the lawyer said in a statement on his Facebook page*.

Vardanyan noted that he had previously participated in bringing new charges against the mayor and was present at his interrogation as a defense attorney. He called the ban "a gross violation of the right to defense" and sent appeals to all authorities.

On October 22, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he had nothing to do with Vardan Ghukasyan's arrest. "They say Vardan Ghukasyan was detained because of my thoughts, but Vardan Ghukasyan was detained because of his thoughts and actions. What do my thoughts have to do with this? My thoughts can be used against me, how can they be used against anyone else?" News.am quotes Pashinyan as saying when asked about the Gyumri mayor's case during government hour in the Armenian parliament.