The judge presiding over Armen Ashotian’s ongoing trial ruled that he will leave prison after posting bail worth 25 million drams ($64,000).
Ashotian was charged in November 2022 with abuse of power and money laundering in connection with his past chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of Yerevan’s Mkhitar Heratsi Medical University. The accusations, strongly denied by him, stem from a number of property acquisitions carried out by the university administration on his alleged orders.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee also charged Ashotian with ‘waste” of public funds following his arrest in June 2023 which it attributed to his alleged attempts to obstruct its inquiry. The oppositionist, who is a deputy chairman of Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK), denies this accusation as well. He has accused the investigators and the presiding judge, Vahe Dolmazian, of executing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s orders.
Dolmazian has repeatedly refused to free Ashotian pending a verdict in the high-profile case, ignoring appeals from dozens of opposition parliamentarians and other critics of Pashinian. In July, Dolmazian, ruled that he will remain in custody for another three months. The Court of Appeals shortened the detention period by one month, until September 15, raising hopes for Ashotian’s release from jail.
Ashotian, 48, was an influential figure during Sarkisian’s rule, serving as education minister from 2012-2016 and subsequently heading the Armenian parliament’s foreign relations committee. He has been a vocal critic of Pashinian.