Armenian law enforcement has leveled criminal accusations against the former mayor of Askeran, a town in Nagorno-Karabakh, who has been actively involved in recent protests against the government in Yerevan.
Hayk Shamiryan, who fled Karabakh last September amid its population’s exodus, was apprehended on Thursday under charges of fraud and document forgery. The Armenia Investigative Committee sought his pre-trial detention, but a Yerevan court declined, opting instead for house arrest.
Details regarding the allegations against Shamirian remain undisclosed by both the committee and prosecutors. However, according to Ruben Melikian, a lawyer critical of the Armenian government, the charges are linked to Shamirian’s management of Askeran municipality’s assets. Melikian has labeled the case as “absurd,” highlighting the lack of jurisdiction by Armenian authorities over Karabakh, particularly following its recapture and depopulation by Baku.
Melikian criticized the Armenian authorities, stating, “You recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan and are now prosecuting its people.”
He views the case as governmental retaliation against Shamiryan’s political stance and activities within Armenia.
Shamiryan has been detained multiple times by police during recent antigovernment protests in Yerevan, notably those organized by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. He also participated in a meeting with Galstanyan alongside other exiled leaders and refugees from Karabakh.
This meeting was part of the archbishop’s efforts to garner support for his opposition-backed campaign to remove Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with another major rally planned for the near future.
Pashinyan’s political team appears apprehensive about the involvement of Karabakh Armenians in the protests, which were sparked by the prime minister’s decision to cede several disputed border areas to Azerbaijan. Some of Pashinyan’s allies have cautioned refugees from Karabakh to refrain from joining the demonstrations.
Critics argue that authorities are attempting to dissuade Armenians from supporting Galstanyan’s movement through fabricated charges. The Investigative Committee stated on Friday that 25 participants in the protests, which commenced in Tavush province on April 20, have been charged with offenses including “hooliganism.” Ten of them remain in custody, according to the law enforcement agency, which is led by one of Pashinyan’s trusted associates.
