Opposition MP blasts judge for extending Armen Ashotyan's arrest

MP Tigran Abrahamyan of the opposition Pativ Unem faction has denounced the judge of Yerevan’s Anti-Corruption Court who extended opposition politician Armen Ashotyan’s pre-trial arrest last week.

The judge, Givi Hovhannisyan, allowed law-enforcement authorities to hold Ashotyan in detention for two more months on 15 August.

Ashotyan, the deputy head of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), was arrested on 16 June on charges of abuse of power and money laundering strongly denied by him as politically motivated.

In a social media post on Saturday, Abrahamyan addressed media reports suggesting the judge was "excited" about the arrest order, thus "fulfilling the current leadership’s orders and taking revenge on the former authorities.”

“The move deserves the toughest criticism," the deputy wrote, accusing the judge of "playing with people's fates".