Arush Arushanyan: This marks the start of victory
Arrested opposition candidate Arush Arushanyan has won the local elections in Armenia’s Goris community, his lawyer Erik Aleksyanyan told him late on Sunday.
Arushanyan has been under arrest for several months, and, accordingly, could not campaign.
According to preliminary results, he garnered 6,256 votes, defeating by a wide margin the candidate of Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Agreement Party, Vladimir Abunts, who received 3,590 votes.
"Arushanyan expresses his gratitude to the voters. He was convinced he would win because he believed the people of Goris would be by his side. Mr. Arushanyan has sent warm greetings and expressed big gratitude, asking me to tell you that this is the beginning of victory, there will be more victories, and those who doubt it are deeply mistaken," Aleksyanyan said.
The lawyer again denounced Arushanyan’s arrest as “unlawful”.
"Goris people are waiting for Arushanyan, Goris people will meet the newly elected mayor very soon," he said.