Vardan Ghukasyan's lawyer accused the authorities of political persecution.

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Zaruhi Postanjyan, who is representing Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, who was arrested on corruption charges, and his son, stated that statements by top Armenian officials, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, suggest the persecution of her clients is politically motivated.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, in October 2025, a Yerevan court remanded Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan in custody for two months on charges of bribery. The opposition politician denied the charges, and his lawyer called the case fabricated. After his arrest, he was also accused of publicly calling for the renunciation of Armenia's sovereignty. Ghukasyan's powers have been suspended since his arrest. On April 21, the court refused to release Ghukasyan from pretrial detention.

Lawyer Zaruhi Postanjyan, who is defending Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan and his son Spartak, reported on the evening of June 6 that high-ranking officials were unlawfully acting against her clients, Aysor reports.

She appealed to the Prosecutor General of Armenia, the Ombudsman, and the Minister of Justice, stating that the persecution of the Ghukasyans is politically motivated. As evidence of this, she cited Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements about the persecution of the opposition, made last year and this year during the election campaign, and a speech by National Assembly Vice Speaker Ruben Rubinyan on June 5.

According to Postanjyan, the public statements by Pashinyan and Rubinyan violate the principle of the presumption of innocence, put pressure on law enforcement agencies and the judicial system, hinder the independent practice of law, and pose a threat to the safety of her clients.

The lawyer demanded that a criminal case be opened to investigate possible signs of abuse of power, exceeding authority, prosecutorial oversight measures be taken to exclude any political influence on the trial against the Ghukasyans, and guarantee their immunity.

Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Ruben Rubinyan accused the opposition of vote-buying at a rally of the ruling Civil Contract party on June 5. and promised a "vendetta" against all "agents." "All agents will go to jail, and their families will visit them in penitentiary institutions for the rest of their lives. Moreover, they will visit them on new buses and trolleybuses purchased by the Yerevan Municipality," News.am quotes his statement. Rubinyan was thus interpreting Nikol Pashinyan's statement at an opposition rally in 2018. Pashinyan promised that there would no longer be an atmosphere of vendetta in Armenia, and that all those who opposed the revolution would be safe. "There will be no vendetta," he declared. Rubinyan had previously commented on the criminal prosecution of Ghukasyan, calling him corrupt and accusing Armenia's former political leadership and clergy of bearing political responsibility for his behavior. In response, Ghukasyan filed a lawsuit to refute the defamatory information.

As a reminder, the elections to the National Assembly of Armenia will be held today, June 7. The voter list includes 2,485,851 people. The Strong Armenia bloc of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, the Armenia bloc of former President Robert Kocharyan, and the Prosperous Armenia Party of oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan are the most pro-Russian participants in the elections. According to analysts, the parties of Samvel Karapetyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Robert Kocharyan will be key competitors in the elections.

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