Armenian court approves pre-trial detention of opposition leader

A court in Yerevan has ordered the pre-trial detention of Armenian opposition leader and businessman Gagik Tsarukyan for two months, granting a request by the country's Investigative Committee.

The ruling was issued by Judge Garik Abelyan, Sputnik Armenia reports.

Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, was detained on July 6 following 12 hours of searches at his residence and businesses. He was subsequently questioned for five hours by investigators.

According to Armenia's Investigative Committee, Tsarukyan has been charged with organizing large-scale fraud and the legalization (laundering) of illicit proceeds.

Investigators allege that between 2022 and 2024, a "criminal group" led by Tsarukyan established joint companies with Iranian citizens, including the Armenian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, under the pretext of promoting trade and economic cooperation between Armenia and Iran.

The prosecution claims the alleged scheme caused more than $21 million in losses to the Armenian state.

In a separate case, Tsarukyan is accused of conspiring with another individual to fraudulently misappropriate an additional $934,000 through a fuel supply transaction involving an Iranian national.

Authorities have also launched a separate criminal investigation into the alleged illegal hunting of wild animals and birds.

During searches carried out as part of the investigation, law enforcement officers sedated and removed three lions and one tiger from Tsarukyan's property before transferring them to the Yerevan Zoo. Investigators also confiscated 190 taxidermied animals and birds.

According to the Investigative Committee, the alleged illegal hunting caused environmental damage estimated at more than $81,000.

Tsarukyan has rejected all the allegations, insisting that the case against him is politically motivated. He described the charges as completely fabricated, calling them "lies" and "baseless."

By Vafa Guliyeva