Dozens of citizens gathered outside the court where the issue of Gagik Tsarukyan s preventive measure is being considered.

ArmInfo. Dozens of citizens gathered outside the Yerevan courthouse, where the pretrial detention measure for Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), is currently being considered for charges of fraud, extortion, and money laundering.

In connection with this, large police forces have been deployed to the courthouse. The prosecution requested an extension of Gagik Tsarukyan's detention for three months, arguing that alternative pretrial detention measures would not be able to meet the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code.

In a conversation with journalists, Armenian politician and member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Arman Abovyan noted that they expect a fair decision in the case. "The case in which Gagik Tsarukyan was arrested and illegally detained has completely collapsed. There is no reason why Tsarukyan should remain in custody. And I repeat, the issue of Gagik Tsarukyan's freedom is not only his personal problem, but first and foremost an issue of Armenia's viability as a democratic state," Abovyan stated.

As a reminder, the investigation accuses Gagik Tsarukyan of crimes under several articles of the Criminal Code concerning fraud, extortion, and money laundering. Sedrak Arustamyan, head of the Multi Group concern, and seven other individuals are also implicated in this case. The Investigative Committee believes that Tsarukyan and other individuals falsified customs declarations and documents, resulting in significant damage to the state or the involved entities (including instances of theft of property worth approximately 8.1 billion drams). On July 7, 2026, a Yerevan court sentenced Gagik Tsarukyan to two months of pretrial detention. The politician's defense attempted to appeal the decision. In October 2026, the Compulsory Enforcement Service of Armenia, based on decisions of the Anti-Corruption Court, imposed a large-scale seizure of property and assets associated with Tsarukyan. Approximately 29 real estate properties, 33 vehicles, and 488 units of movable property were seized. A separate ban on changes in ownership was imposed on Tsarukyan's properties in the coastal area of Lake Sevan. Seizures were also imposed on Tsarukyan's shares in 27 different companies, as well as on the shares and stocks of 40 legal entities associated with him.