U.S. court to review release request for Vardan Ghukasyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Vardan Ghukasyan remains in U.S. detention, though a Las Vegas court recently denied Armenia’s request for his extradition, RFE/RL reports.

While the court ruled against extraditing him to Armenia, it also stated that Ghukasyan cannot remain in the U.S. due to violations of immigration laws.

“The court ruled that Vardan Ghukasyan must be deported to a third country, meaning he has to leave the U.S.,” said his attorney Levon Baghdasaryan.

His legal team plans to appeal the deportation decision, and is also seeking to have Ghukasyan released from detention.

“Ghukasyan is currently in administrative detention. We believe his continued detention is excessive, and are pushing for a change in pretrial measure,” the lawyer said.

The appeals process could be lengthy, but until it's resolved, Ghukasyan can legally remain in the U.S., though whether he stays in custody or is released remains to be seen.

According to Baghdasaryan, several countries from both Europe and Asia have expressed willingness to host Ghukasyan if he’s deported from the U.S.

“These are formal state offers; state institutions are ready to provide legal protections and recognize his political status,” he said.

The leader of the DOK Party was arrested earlier this year for allegedly violating U.S. immigration laws.