Clashes in Gyumri as Ghukasyan taken into custody

PanARMENIAN.Net - A clash occurred in front of the Gyumri municipality building between demonstrators supporting Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan and police forces, Armenpress reports. Several individuals were detained.

The confrontation erupted when police attempted to form a security line in front of city hall to facilitate Ghukasyan’s removal. The Anti-Corruption Committee had issued a detention order against him as part of an ongoing bribery investigation.

Some protesters tried to block law enforcement actions, leading to a physical altercation. Video footage shows police detaining multiple individuals. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed detentions but did not specify the number, promising updates later.

Gyumri’s chief architect, Henrik Gasparyan, was also escorted out of the building by investigators and taken to an undisclosed location, according to Panorama.am .

Ghukasyan exited through the rear entrance of the municipality. He was rushed into a vehicle and is being transported to Yerevan for further proceedings at the Anti-Corruption Committee.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Committee announced that criminal proceedings had been launched against several senior municipal officials in Gyumri, including Ghukasyan and Gasparyan, on charges of receiving and soliciting large-scale bribes. A total of eight people have been arrested.