Gagik Tsarukyan to be released on bail
The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction presided over by judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan granted the petition to change the measure of restraint for the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader, lawmaker Gagik Tsarukyan. As Tsarukyan's lawyer Samvel Dilbandyan told reporters, Tsarukyan will be released under a bail of 100 million AMD.
To note, the National Security Service (NSS) has launched criminal cases against Tsarukyan, accusing the lawmaker of vote buying, tax evasion and illegal land appropriation. Armenian lawmakers earlier voted to strip the opposition leader of immunity from prosecution on Tuesday, moving to push through the criminal proceedings against him.
Tsarukyan denies any wrongdoing, dismissing the charges as politically motivated. The MP claims the accusations against him came after his harsh criticism of the Armenian government at the June 5 meeting of his party.