Armenian police on Tuesday detained more than 100 supporters of an opposition leader accused of financial crimes ahead of a vote in parliament to strip him of immunity from prosecution. Supporters of Gagik Tsarukyan, oligarch and the leader of the largest opposition party, Prosperous Armenia, blocked several streets in the capital Yerevan with trucks and buses and staged a rally outside parliament. Police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan told AFP that 103 protesters were detained. Mass gatherings are currently banned in Armenia due to a state of emergency imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The protest came after prosecutors said Tuesday they will seek to hold Tsarukyan in pre-trial detention. The vote in parliament to strip him of his immunity is expected to be held later Tuesday. Armenia's national security service on Sunday searched Tsarukyan's house and his party's offices as part of an investigation into "financial crimes." Tsarukyan is suspected of running an "illegal gambling business that has deprived the state coffers of some $60 million" and of "vote buying" during 2017 parliamentary elections, the security service has said. More than 90 of Tsarukyan's supporters were briefly detained on Sunday during protests. Tsarukyan told journalists over the weekend that the accusations against him were "politically motivated" and aimed at silencing his criticism of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Armenia has a fast-growing outbreak with a total of 17,489 infections. Pashinyan's government has come under fire for responding too slowly to the pandemic, which has overwhelmed hospitals and seen quarantine rules ignored. Pashinyan, who enjoys widespread popularity in Armenia, said earlier this month he had recovered from the virus after he and his family tested positive. He came to power in 2018 after mass popular protests he led against veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian and his Republican Party. He has since led a relentless crusade against graft and initiated sweeping judicial reforms. Tsarukyan's party controls 25 seats in Armenia's 132-member parliament. mkh-im/jbr/wdb