Over 30 arrested for mass disturbance at Gyumri protest

Thirty-three people have been arrested in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, following clashes with police near the City Hall, the Investigative Committee said on Tuesday.

The arrests come amid a criminal investigation into participation in mass riots and obstruction of justice during a protest on Monday.

Earlier, masked officers from the National Security Service conducted searches at the Gyumri City Hall, prompting large crowds to gather outside the building in support of Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. Authorities claimed that demonstrators interfered with investigative actions, committed acts of violence and damaged property while resisting police.

Ghukasyan has been detained for two months on bribery charges strongly denied by him as politically motivated.