Opposition politician Armen Ashotyan's detention extended
Armenia's Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday extended opposition politician Armen Ashotyan’s detention for three more months.
Presiding judge Vahe Dolmazyan rejected the defense request to release Ashotyan on a bail of ֏49 million and sureties offered by former parliament speakers Khosrov Harutyunyan and Tigran Torosyan and to move him to house arrest.
Ashotyan, a vocal government critic and deputy chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) who served as Armenia’s education minister from 2012-2016, was arrested on 16 June 2023 on charges of abuse of power and money laundering strongly denied by him as politically motivated.
Ashotyan stated that the court decision confirmed the government’s intention to keep him behind bars as long as possible.