Due to the end of the working day, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Syunik Province of Armenia postponed the court hearing over the case of Mayor of Goris Arush Arushanyan and other officials until December 27.

The case is already in the stage of trial. During today’s court hearing, the Court started studying the available pieces of evidence. Head of Karahunj village Lusine Avetyan renounced her accusatory testimony given against Arush Arushanyan and informed that she had given a false testimony. Avetyan also mentioned that Arushanyan had received residents of the village, listened to them talk about their social issues and decided to help them.

“Arushanyan has helped those residents several times, and viewing this as electoral fraud is unacceptable. I regret giving a false testimony against Arushanyan,” Avetyan stated, adding that she was psychologically pressured at the penitentiary institution in Abovyan and had to give such a testimony since she had many diseases. According to her, nobody pressured her to give a false testimony.

Avetyan also said the residents of her village were also pressured to declare that Arushanyan had given them electoral bribes and added that she had supported the opposition “Armenia” Alliance and had led the campaign in accordance with the letter of the law.

The accused on trial only answered the questions of the defense and sharply refused to answer the prosecutor’s questions.

Mayor of Goris Arush Arushanyan is in custody and is charged with securing maximum votes from voters of the city and, proceeding from personal and group interests to record desired results in the elections, preparing a heavy crime with direct intention during the campaign ahead of the snap parliamentary elections (in which he was running under the electoral list of the opposition “Armenia” Alliance), that is, running in the elections and giving bribes to two or more voters to vote in favor of “Armenia” Alliance.

In addition, according to the charge, Arush Arushanyan, through head of Karahunj village Lusine Avetyan, organized the coercion of voters of Karahunj to participate in the snap parliamentary elections set for June 20, 2021 and vote in favor of “Armenia” Alliance.

Arushanyan doesn’t accept the charge brought against him.