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Court denies request for arrest of Armenia opposition leader

June 21, 2020 GMT

FILE - In this file photo dated Sunday, May 6, 2012, Armenia Party President Gagik Tsarukyan during parliamentary elections in Yerevan, Armenia. The Armenian parliament has voted to strip the leader of an opposition party Gagik Tsarukyan of his immunity as a lawmaker and to allow his arrest on tax evasion charges. (Varo Rafaelyan / PanARMENIAN via AP)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A court in Armenia has ruled against the arrest and detention of the leader of the country’s main opposition party, who is facing charges of making election bribes.

Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan was charged last week. Parliament subsequently stripped him of the immunity he held as a member of the legislature, and petitioned for him to be arrested.

The court rejected the request on Sunday.

Prosperous Armenia party holds 25 of the 132 seats in the National Assembly, which is dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s party.