Armenian Election Commission weighs criminal case against MP

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