Armenian court completes hearing on motion to detain Gagik Tsarukyan

An Armenian court on Tuesday concluded a hearing on prosecutors' request to place opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan in pretrial detention for two months, with the judge retiring to deliberate before issuing a ruling.

Attorney Yerem Sargsyan told reporters that the court would announce in advance when it would deliver its decision.

The detention request follows Tsarukyan's arrest on Monday. The hearing was presided over by judge Garik Abelyan of the Court of General Jurisdiction.

The Investigative Committee said on Monday that evidence gathered in one of its ongoing criminal investigations indicates that Tsarukyan allegedly organized a scheme in which several individuals committed large-scale fraud and laundered money between 2022 and 2024.

Tsarukyan denies the allegations. His lawyer dismissed the accusations as "absurd" and "ridiculous."