YEREVAN, July 9. News-Armenia. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected allegations of political persecution against the leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, businessman Gagik Tsarukyan.
Speaking about the criminal case against Tsarukyan, the Prime Minister stated that law enforcement agencies are acting within their powers and the law. "The Republic of Armenia acts within its powers, including within the mandate given by the people," Pashinyan said at a briefing on Thursday.
He noted that he intends to fulfill his electoral promises, particularly regarding the return of illegally acquired property to the state and holding accountable those responsible for the events of March 1, 2008.
Commenting on why the investigation against Tsarukyan was not conducted earlier (before the parliamentary elections on June 7, 2026), Pashinyan stated that he had faced resistance from the judicial system for eight years.
"This is called political persecution, and I say the opposite — until recently, there was political non-persecution. Because the 'tentacles' operating in the state system created protective conditions for many. This must come to an end," he said.
Pashinyan also reported that the criminal case against Tsarukyan was initiated back in 2025 based on a statement from a foreign investor.
Gagik Tsarukyan was detained on July 6 as part of a criminal case involving fraud and large-scale money laundering.
According to the investigation, a group organized by Tsarukyan allegedly stole property worth over 8.1 billion drams (about $21 million) under the guise of developing trade relations with Iran between 2022 and 2024 and subsequently legalized the obtained funds.
On July 7, the court decided to arrest Gagik Tsarukyan for two months.
