Former minister of education Armen Ashotyan jailed in pre-trial detention

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. The Anti-Corruption Court has jailed Vice President of the Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashotyan in pre-trial detention for two months, his lawyer Tigran Atanesyan said on Facebook.

Ashotyan, a former minister of education, was taken into custody on June 14 for allegedly violating bail restrictions ordered by a court amid an ongoing investigation into alleged abuse of power and embezzlement in the Yerevan State Medical University that are said to have happened during his tenure as education minister and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the university.

He is accused of abetting then-rector Mikayel Narimanyan in committing misconduct and inflicting over 38 million drams in property damages to the university.

Armen Ashotyan denies wrongdoing and claims that the charges against him are politically motivated.