Armenia’s CEC lifts MP Karapetyan’s immunity amid criminal probe UPDATED

Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has voted to strip MP Narek Karapetyan of parliamentary immunity.

Aram Vardevanyan, a representative of the Strong Armenia bloc, said that the CEC had given its consent to bringing charges against Narek Karapetyan after considering the matter, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

Earlier, Vardevanyan told reporters that the case against Karapetyan is linked to charges filed against Alexan Aleksanyan, a supporter of the Strong Armenia party.

13:34

Armenia's Central Election Commission (CEC) is holding a session to consider authorising criminal proceedings against National Assembly member Narek Karapetyan, the nephew of Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan.

The case concerns allegations that the lawmaker concealed his dual citizenship and evaded compulsory military service, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Samvel Karapetyan himself is under house arrest since June 18, 2025, and charged with publicly calling for the usurpation of state power under Article 422 of Armenia's Criminal Code.

He has denied the allegations, insisting that his comments were political in nature and taken out of context, while his supporters have described the case as politically motivated.

Investigators later added economic-related charges, which Karapetyan and his legal team also rejected.

A court initially ordered his pre-trial detention before replacing it with house arrest and bail in late December 2025.

Since then, Armenia's Anti-Corruption Court has repeatedly extended the measure, including in April and July 2026, citing ongoing procedural risks.

Samvel Karapetyan is a Russian-Armenian billionaire, founder of the Tashir Group, and one of Armenia's wealthiest businessmen.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov