A criminal investigation into an alleged coup plot involving Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has been launched after the Investigative Committee said it received a report on the apparent crime on June 5, 2026.

In a statement, the law enforcement agency said that Ghukasyan, in 2025, through recruiting accomplices across the country, had plotted to seize power but failed to carry out the conspiracy due to “circumstances beyond their control.”

Following the report, the General Department for the Investigation of Crimes against the State, Constitutional Order, and Public Security of the Investigative Committee of Armenia has initiated criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 43-419 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (preparation to usurp power).

Within the framework of the criminal proceedings, measures are being taken to identify all persons allegedly involved in the plot, as well as to clarify the mechanisms of the offence and provide a legal assessment of their actions.

Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan has been in pre-trial detention since October 2025 on unrelated bribery charges, which he denies. The city has been governed by an acting mayor ever since.