Opposition MP slams Tsarukyan's detention

Armenian opposition lawmaker Lilit Galstyan has strongly criticized the detention of businessman and politician Gagik Tsarukyan, describing the case as "lawlessness", accusing the authorities of political reprisal.

Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, has been  detained on charges of large-scale money laundering and fraud, which he rejects as politically motivated.

Speaking outside the State Revenue Committee’s Investigative Department on Friday, Galstyan said Armenia’s electoral process had been “distorted” by administrative pressure, hate speech, and political persecution. She pointed to the suspension of vote counting at 2 a.m. on election night as evidence of manipulation.

“This reality is miles away from democracy,” Galstyan said, adding that the proceedings against Tsarukyan “are not legal processes but acts of revenge and intimidation.”

She vowed that the opposition Hayastan (Armenia) bloc will continue its fight in parliament to defend national values.