Armenian opposition mayor detained for two months

Opposition Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has been placed in pretrial detention for two months, his lawyer Zaruhi Postanjyan reported.

Judge Vardges Sargsyan of the Anti-Corruption Court issued the detention order early on Tuesday morning, following Ghukasyan’s arrest on bribery charges.

Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee said on Monday that it had launched an investigation into Ghukasyan and seven other officials. They are accused of allegedly demanding a $10,000 bribe from a local resident in connection with an unauthorized construction project.

Ghukasyan denies the charges as politically motivated.