Former Armenian labor minister detained

Artem Asatryan, Armenia’s former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, has been detained as part of a criminal investigation led by the country’s Anti-Corruption Committee.

Officials declined to confirm or deny the arrest, citing the ongoing investigation. Earlier on Wednesday, the authorities announced that several individuals had been taken into custody on charges related to alleged criminal offences under multiple articles of Armenia’s Criminal Code. Among those detained was a former head of the State Property Management Department and other ex-senior officials.