Key facts
- Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, was placed in pre-trial detention for two months.
- He is suspected of large-scale fraud and money laundering.
- Tsarukyan is accused of fraudulently importing goods worth $21 million from Iran between 2022 and 2024.
- The detention follows Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's pledge to address opposition groups.
- Tsarukyan's lawyers plan to appeal any conviction.
Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of a pro-Russian opposition party in Armenia and a prominent businessman, has been placed in pre-trial detention for two months. The decision, reported by Armenpress news agency, stems from suspicions of large-scale fraud and money laundering. Tsarukyan was arrested along with an associate on allegations of fraudulently importing vehicles, machinery, fuel, and other goods valued at $21 million from Iran between 2022 and 2024.
This development occurs shortly after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan secured re-election and vowed to confront what he termed the "three-headed spy party of war," referring to the main opposition groups, including Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia party. During the election campaign, Pashinyan had suggested that opposition forces posed a risk of drawing Armenia back into conflict with Azerbaijan.
Investigators searched Tsarukyan's residence and approximately 70 other locations associated with his extensive business interests, which span industries such as brandy production, cement manufacturing, and sports facilities. Tsarukyan's legal team has stated their intention to appeal any conviction. Meanwhile, eight opposition groups, who had previously alleged election rigging, have condemned the detentions as politically motivated, a stance that follows the Central Election Commission's rejection of their petition to overturn the election results.