Vardan Hakobyan has been charged with a new accusation.
Opposition mayor of Gyumri Vardan Hakobyan, who is under house arrest on charges of bribery and calls for changing the constitutional order, is accused of abuse of power.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in October 2025, a court in Yerevan arrested Gyumri mayor Vardan Hakobyan in a bribery case. Hakobyan's powers have been suspended since the day of his arrest. Later, he was also accused of public calls to renounce Armenia's sovereignty. In July, Hakobyan was transferred to house arrest.
The opposition politician rejected the accusations, and his lawyer called the case fabricated, noting that the persecution of Hakobyan is politically motivated. Searches in the mayor's office were accompanied by a protest action of hundreds of residents who came to support the mayor. The protests escalated into clashes with law enforcement and attempts by those gathered to prevent Hakobyan's detention. As a result of this action, the Investigative Committee of Armenia initiated a criminal case on mass riots and obstruction of justice.
The Anti-Corruption Committee has brought a new charge against Vardan Hakobyan - under the article on abuse of power, News.am reports today.
The charge is related to the alienation of property in the 2000s, explained Hakobyan's lawyer Aramais Ayrapetyan to the agency "Sputnik Armenia".
"The investigation is being conducted on old episodes. He was brought to the Anti-Corruption Committee and later taken home. He has been charged with a new accusation related to events of the 2000s. It concerns the alienation of property during the period when he was the head of the community," Ayrapetyan said.
Recall that on March 30, 2025, extraordinary elections were held for the Council of Elders of Gyumri. The ruling party "Civil Contract" won, but the votes it received were not enough for the party's candidate Sarik Minasyan to become mayor, allowing the communist Vardan Hakobyan to take this position. He took office in April 2025.