Armenian police detain 33 in Gyumri over rally against mayor's arests

A total of 33 people have been detained following protest outside Gyumri City Hall on October 20.

According to the Investigative Committee of Armenia, the detainees are being held on charges related to mass disorder and obstruction of justice. The protest erupted as residents of Gyumri attempted to prevent the arrest of opposition mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Ghukasyan and the city’s chief architect are accused of accepting bribes, with criminal cases launched against the mayor and seven others.

In the morning of October 20, Anti-Corruption Committee agents, backed by police, stormed Gyumri City Hall and the mayor's residence. Ghukasyan and the chief architect are detained on-site, along with six others (including municipal officials and intermediaries).

The Anti-Corruption Committee's probe, launched in early October, alleges Ghukasyan accepted bribe of $10,000 to ignore illegal constructions, a rampant issue amid Gyumri's urban sprawl. This follows similar high-profile cases, like tycoon Samvel Karapetyan's June detention, fueling narratives of a "witch hunt."

The protest, which began shortly after Ghukasyan's detention, saw hundreds of residents—many waving Armenian flags and chanting anti-government slogans—gather to block police vehicles and demand the mayor's release.

By Khagan Isayev