On 16 June, the Armenian Parliament voted for prosecuting parliamentary opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukyan and striping his immunity. 87 parliamentarians voted in favour with the motion, with no votes against. Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia factions did not participate in the voting.
Speaking in front of Parliament, Armenia’s Attorney General Artur Davtyan requested arrest of Tsarukyan. “The investigation finds that being in freedom Gagik Tsarukyan will impede the investigative events, [he would] influence the witnesses allegedly involved in the crimes. I request the arrest of Gagik Tsarukyan,” he said.
During the hearing, Tsarukyan stood by his claims that the government has failed to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the country and tackle its severe socioeconomic consequences. “The end of your revolution has come. Eighty or ninety percent of the people believed in you and the revolution. But today even 5 percent do not believe,” he said, referring to the 2018 Velvet revolution.
He also said that he is undaunted by the prospect of his imprisonment and will “go to the end” in challenging the authorities. He claimed that with their “fabricated” criminal case and that the authorities were only “making a hero” out of him. “This is temporary, [it will last for] only one or two months, not longer. You are standing on the brink of an abyss,” he told the ruling My Step faction deputies.
Immediately after finishing his speech and leaving the parliament building, Tsarukyan was surrounded by National Security Service (NSS) officers and taken to the NSS headquarters for further questioning. BHK representatives said that the security service illegally detained him before securing parliament’s consent. Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan insisted, however, that Tsarukyan was not detained.
A protest erupted in front of parliament prior to the voting. It was reported that 154 Armenian citizens have been apprehended during the action.
On 14 June, Tsarukyan was summoned to the NSS and questioned for more than eight hours following the search. After the questioning the NSS opened 3 charges against Tsarukyan (Caucasus Watch reported).
