Armenian opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan arrested and detained

Armenian authorities detained opposition figure Gagik Tsarukyan on 6 July, carrying out simultaneous raids at more than 70 sites including his mansion, a cement plant, a brandy‑wine‑vodka factory and other businesses. He was charged with organising large‑scale fraud and money‑laundering through an Iran‑Armenia logistics scheme that allegedly misappropriated about $21 million in goods and fuel. Tsarukyan’s lawyer Yerem Sargsyan called the accusations “ridiculous and absurd: complicity in fraud and money laundering” and argued the case was politically motivated, citing previous threats by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. A court ordered pre‑trial detention for two months. During the raids, three lions and a tiger were seized; the Yerevan Zoo later confirmed that one lioness died after sedation, attributing the death to age‑related health issues. The opposition party Prosperous Armenia condemned the operation as a politicised use of law‑enforcement agencies.