Tsarukyan's Lawyers File Appeal Against His Arrest

A special appeal has been filed in the Armenian Court of Appeal regarding the detention of Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the "Prosperous Armenia" party and businessman. The appeal was reported by one of Tsarukyan's lawyers, Emin Khachatryan, on his Facebook page. "The appeal details the violations of substantive and procedural law committed by the first instance court, the defense's arguments regarding the legality of the arrest, and the possibility of applying alternative preventive measures. The defense hopes that the appellate court will provide a complete, objective, and impartial assessment of the case circumstances, ensuring a fair trial and effective protection of the right to personal freedom," the lawyer noted. Recall that on July 6, the leader of the "Prosperous Armenia" party and businessman Gagik Tsarukyan was detained and taken to the Investigative Committee of Armenia. He is accused of organizing fraud and money laundering in particularly large amounts. According to the investigation, from 2022 to 2024, a group operating under his leadership created joint legal entities with the participation of Iranian citizens under the pretext of developing trade and economic relations between Armenia and Iran, after which they implemented a fraudulent scheme that caused damage of more than $21 million. Additionally, Gagik Tsarukyan has been charged with illegal hunting. On July 7, the court granted the prosecution's request to arrest Tsarukyan for two months.