Ghukasian, the city’s chief architect and six other local government officials were arrested three weeks after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian pledged to “throw out” the mayor, who took office in April following the ruling Civil Contract party’s defeat in a municipal election. They all are facing corruption accusations.
Ghukasian rejected the charges as politically motivated after being transported to Yerevan later on Monday. The Anti-Corruption Court allowed investigators to hold him in pre-trial detention. He was also suspended as a result.
The decision means that Ghukasian’s first deputy and son-in-law, Avetis Arakelian, will run Gyumri for the time being. Ghukasian cited the possibility of his arrest when he explained his choice of vice-mayor in April. The mayor predicted his impending arrest following Pashinian’s October 1 pledge to oust him from “the political and public arena.”
Four local opposition groups installed Ghukasian as mayor after winning a majority of seats in the city council in the March 30 election. Some commentators suggested at the time that Pashinian will not come to terms with his party’s defeat and will try to overturn the election results by having Ghukasian arrested and installing an interim mayor.
Pashinian had already been accused of resorting to politically motivated criminal cases and foul play to reverse Civil Contract’s defeats in local polls held in other major urban communities, including Armenia’s third largest city of Vanadzor. He denied the accusations.
Law-enforcement officers faced strong resistance from hundreds of Ghukasian’s supporters as when they raided the municipal administration building in order to demonstratively arrest the mayor. The Armenian police had to send reinforcements, including its main riot police units, to Gyumri to overcome that resistance. They clashed with protesters both inside and outside the building.
At least 33 protesters were arrested on the spot or in the following hours as the Investigative Committee launched an inquiry into “mass disturbances” and obstruction of justice. Among them are a dozen municipal employees, including the drivers of trucks that blocked streets leading to the mayor’s office.
As of Tuesday, the law-enforcement agency did not say how many of the detainees will be prosecuted on relevant charges. Its officers searched Ghukasian’s office and other rooms in the building as part of that inquiry denounced by the Armenian opposition as an illegal attempt to discourage further anti-government protests.