Mamikon Aslanyan, who served as the leader of Vanadzor for five years, will remain in custody as the court rejected the petition to release him, according to human rights defender Ruben Melikyan. Aslanyan has been in prison since December 2021 on charges of expropriating lands in Vanadzor through falsified documents during his tenure. Two of his subordinates, including a lawyer and the chief architect of the community, have also been charged but are currently free.
Law enforcement officers initiated the criminal case and detained Aslanyan immediately after the Vanadzor Council of Elders elections. Despite the political force led by Aslanyan receiving the most votes in the 2021 elections, he was unable to return to office as the head of the community. Aslanyan believes that the case against him is politically motivated and that it is part of a larger political agenda.
Aslanyan expressed his views on the situation, stating that the timing of his arrest, in relation to the elections and the accusations against him, point to a case driven by political interests. Despite the legal proceedings against him, Aslanyan maintains that the charges are unfounded and part of a larger political conspiracy.