Pashinyan Threatened to Jail his Political Rival’s Son, After Requesting his Extradition from Belarus
Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office sent a request to Belarus’ Prosecutor General’s Office seeking the extradition of Nver Tsarukyan, the son of oligarch and Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan.
The request was sent on January 10, 2025. On November 14 of the same year, Armenia received a reply stating that the extradition request would be considered under the applicable international treaty after his location and detention on Belarusian territory, Armenpress reports, citing Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office.
Nver Tsarukyan is a defendant in a criminal case involving armed hooliganism at a casino in the town of Tsakhkadzor in October 2024. The younger Tsarukyan is charged with incitement to robbery, hooliganism involving the use of weapons, and illegal weapons possession.
In November 2024, Tsarukyan’s lawyer said that he had traveled to Belarus on a “business trip”.
The issue of Tsarukyan’s extradition from Belarus was raised today by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during an election rally. He promised to bring Nver back from Belarus and hold him accountable.
“There is one person in Armenia defending the president of Belarus because his son never fired a shot on the frontline, but fired shots in Kotayk Province and fled. We will bring him back and imprison him. Boy, you will not escape anywhere, your father will not save you, your uncle Robik will not save you either. … We will bring everyone to their knees and hold them accountable. Gagik Tsarukyan, we will drag your boy back from Belarus by the scruff of the neck and hold him accountable,”Pashinyan said emotionally, according to news.am.
In response, Gagik Tsarukyan called criticism directed at family members unacceptable. He said that his son would return to Armenia after June 7, when he would “finish his affairs” abroad.
Tsarukyan also described Aliaksandr Lukashenka as his friend and said that his personal relationship with him had helped resolve issues important to Armenia.
“Lukashenka is my friend, he is like family to me, and he was ready to help our country on any issue whenever it was needed,” Tsarukyan said, adding that friendship and state work should not be confused.
Tsarukyan has repeatedly described Lukashenka as his friend. The Belarusian Embassy in Armenia is located next to Tsarukyan’s mansion in the village of Arinj on the outskirts of Yerevan. In January 2024, Viktar Lukashenka visited Tsarukyan in his capacity as head of the Armenian Olympic Committee. In 2025, Armenian blogger Bella (Roza Babakhanyan), who had been detained in Belarus, was released with Tsarukyan’s assistance.
