The mayor of Gyumri, arrested on October 25 on bribery charges, has sued the Republic of Armenia claiming that his right to a free and fair trial has been violated.

Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Armenia’s second largest city, wants the government to acknowledge the violation of his presumption of innocence and to pay him AMD 500,000 (US$1,317) in damages.

Ghukasyan has also sued the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Ruben Rubinyan, claiming that he slandered his good name.

Rubinyan, in various Facebook posts, described Ghukasyan as a “corrupt scoundrel” after he was charged in criminal proceedings being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Committee.

Ghukasyan, in the lawsuit, wants Rubinyan to publicly refute what he wrote and is demanding AMD 500,000 in compensation.

Ghukasyan, Gyumri’s chief architect, and six other officials have been charged with accepting bribes from the owner of an illegally constructed building in return for not demolishing it and legalizing it.