Vartan Ghukasian, the opposition mayor of Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri, was arrested in October on corruption charges rejected by him as politically motivated. One week later, he was also indicted under an Armenian legal provision that makes it a crime to call for a violent overthrow of the constitutional order or violation of the country’s territorial integrity.
The new charge was based on Ghukasian’s September statement to the effect that Armenia should be part of a “union” with Russia similar to the European Union while preserving its “independent statehood.” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian decried Ghukasian’s “statement against the sovereignty of Armenia.”
Although law-enforcement authorities unexpectedly dropped the charge late last month, Lavrov criticized the high-profile case on Tuesday.
“Arresting people for expressing political views, views that are in no way aimed at undermining Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, views that are aimed at maximizing the opportunities of its foreign relations in the interests of its own development - of course, this has caused serious bewilderment and concern,” he told a news conference.
He also said: “We hope that political figures in Armenia who stand for the development and deepening of cooperation with Russia will not be persecuted.”
Mirzoyan rejected the criticism during the Armenian government’s question-and-answer session in the parliament.
“This information is not true,” he said. “In the case of political statements, criminal prosecution can only occur if they contain threats or calls to undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Armenia or forcibly overthrow its constitutional order.”
“Let each of focus on our own internal affairs,” added Mirzoyan.
Armenia’s relations with Russia, its traditional ally, have grown increasingly strained in the last few years, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government trying to reorient the South Caucasus country towards the West and making major concessions to its longtime arch-foes: Azerbaijan and Turkey. Shortly after Ghukasian’s arrest, Pashinian branded his political opponents as agents of a foreign state, presumably Russia. Opposition leaders say, for their part, that Pashinian is cracking down on dissent for fear of losing parliamentary elections due in June 2026.