Appeals in the Case of Gagik Tsarukyan Being Heard in the Court of Appeals

At the Court of Appeals of Armenia, presided over by Judge Mkhitar Papoyan, appeals from the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Gagik Tsarukyan, and representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office are being heard today, July 2.

The Prosecutor’s Office has appealed against the decision of the first-instance court which rejected the motion to place Tsarukyan in custody as a measure of restraint, requesting the Court of Appeals to overturn that decision and to place Tsarukyan in custody.

Tsarukyan’s defense team has submitted two appeals, one of which pertains to the reasonable suspicion regarding his involvement in the criminal case. The defense argues that no evidence has been presented to the court to substantiate any connection of Tsarukyan to this criminal case.

The second appeal addresses the legality of the proceedings, as the defense claims that this criminal case should initially been investigated by the Special Investigation Service, rather than the National Security Service.

It should be noted that Gagik Tsarukyan will not be appearing in court as he has tested positive for the coronavirus.