YEREVAN. – Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and business tycoon, arrived at the Shengavit district court of the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction where the examination of the motion to arrest him will soon resume.

There are a large number of police forces in the court yard.

Tsarukyan was greeted by the PAP MPs in the court yard, then he entered the court building.

The National Security Service has charged Gagik Tsarukyan of vote buying, but Tsarukyan does not accept this accusation and says it as a fabricated case.

The National Assembly on Tuesday approved Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan’s petitions to strip Gagik Tsarukyan of his parliamentary immunity and to take him into custody.

Opposition PAP and Bright Armenia Party factions in parliament, however, did not take part in the respective voting.

A total 87 MPs of the My Step faction voted for the two petitions.