Gyumri unrest: Armenia detains mayor’s son, deputy mayor amid riot investigation

Armenian law enforcement authorities have detained Spartak Gukasyan, son of Gyumri Mayor Vardan Gukasyan, and Deputy Mayor Avetis Arakelyan as part of an ongoing investigation into the mass riots that recently occurred in Gyumri.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia confirmed the detentions, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case opened in connection with the mass riots in Gyumri, criminal proceedings have been initiated against four individuals, two of whom have been taken into custody,” the committee stated.

While Spartak Gukasyan and Avetis Arakelyan have been detained, they have not been formally arrested. In contrast, the head of the municipal department, Artem Mkrtchyan, and deputy Karapet Gukasyan have been placed under formal arrest.

On October 21, Vardan Gukasyan, the Mayor of Gyumri, was remanded in custody for a period of two months. He faces charges under the statute pertaining to “acceptance of a bribe,” which he categorically denies. According to his legal defense, the vast majority of the alleged incidents referenced in the indictment occurred between December 2024 and February 2025, a period during which Gukasyan did not hold the office of mayor.

By Vafa Guliyeva