YEREVAN. – Yesterday, the court, presided over by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, arrested PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan with an illegal decision. The political board of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) has noted this in a statement on Saturday.

"No solid facts were presented by the court as to how Gagik Tsarukyan obstructed the investigation four months after the charge that was brought [against him]. What happened is obviously political revenge against the leader of the largest parliamentary opposition force and the PAP. It is obvious that Gagik Tsarukyan is now a political prisoner.

Two and a half years after the revolution, the halls of power, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, recording obvious shortcomings and failures in all spheres, are trying to silence the opposition with dirty political revenge, ordering the most lackey judge to arrest Gagik Tsarukyan.

The halls of power have targeted many PAP figures, MPs, those in charge of [PAP] regional organizations, against whom a blatant obvious political persecution is carried out in the name of legal processes.

The incompetent halls of power (…) are trying to establish a climate of fear and terror in the country, which will certainly not work.

The struggle of Gagik Tsarukyan and us is righteous.

And those who ordered this shameless and cheap revenge against Gagik Tsarukyan and all the participants will be punished with the full force of the law; and that is only a matter of a very short time," the PAP statement also reads, in particular.