The Union of Armenians of Altai Republic in the Russian Federation have issued a statement condemning the developments in relation to Russia-based Armenian businessman Rubik Ghazaryan.

In the statement, the Union states that the Armenian community of the Altai Republic has made its small, yet significant contributions to the development of Armenia since the country’s declaration of independence and has held several events for preservation and dissemination of Armenian culture. The members of the Union also state that they are offended by Armenia’s attitude towards one of the members of the community, Rubik Ghazaryan and by Armenia questioning the fact that his investments are “his ownership”. They added that Rubik Ghazaryan himself came to Armenia and addressed the investigative bodies with the request for an interview and clarification.

The Union urges the Special Investigation Service and the mass media to stop speculating Rubik Ghazaryan’s name and good reputation.

In late 2019, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia issued a statement ascribing the property belonging to Rubik Ghazaryan by right of ownership to President of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan, and this served as a ground to institute a criminal case and bring a charge against Hrayr Tovmasyan. Recently, Ghazaryan, who lives in Altai Republic, arrived in Armenia and visited the preliminary investigation body with the request for details about the grounds for ascribing the property belonging to him to another person without performing any investigative action with him.