Armenia’s third president Serzh Sargsyan stated that David Hambardzumyan, the detained mayor of Masis and opposition’s nominated candidate for prime minister in the ongoing impeachment effort, continues to hold that candidacy.
“Hambardzumyan’s verdict has not entered into legal force. His lawyers will appeal, and in the meantime, all his rights are being protected. So, yes, he remains our candidate for prime minister,” Sargsyan said, as reported by Radar Armenia.
He called the imposed sentence “a harsh decision” and claimed it was deliberately chosen to prevent eligibility for amnesty.
Regarding the opposition’s next steps, Sargsyan confirmed that they remain fully focused on the impeachment.
“We have no other plan than to move forward with the impeachment process. If others have alternative suggestions or plans, we’re happy to hear them,” he said.
When asked whether Hambardzumyan’s arrest was politically motivated and tied to the impeachment, Sargsyan replied, “Not only because of the process, but also due to his position.”
He added that he had asked his party’s legal experts to investigate whether such a harsh sentence had ever been imposed under the same article before, but had yet to receive an answer.
Commenting briefly on the October 26 liturgy in Hovhannavank led by a defrocked priest and attended by the prime minister, Sargsyan said, “I don’t even want to respond to that disgrace.”
Hambardzumyan was sentenced to more than six years in prison and arrested at Zvartnots Airport upon returning to Armenia. He and his brother were reportedly involved in a 2018 incident at a busy junction between Hayanist and Hovtashat settlements. He also previously faced charges related to alleged violence against protesters during the 2018 revolution in Yerevan, but was released due to insufficient evidence.
