Armenian ex-minister faces loss of immunity in expanding corruption probe

Armenia's Prosecutor General, Anna Vardapetyan, has formally submitted a motion to the National Assembly seeking to strip Artsvik Minasyan, secretary of the opposition "Armenia" Faction, of his parliamentary immunity.

The move comes as part of an expanding criminal investigation linked to former Defence Minister and current head of the "Armenia" faction, Seyran Ohanyan, who is already facing serious allegations, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

The parliamentary opposition, which had previously walked out of the chamber in protest over proceedings against Ohanyan—whom authorities label a war criminal—has since returned to participate in deliberations on the new motion.

According to Vardapetyan, the public criminal prosecution of Minasyan is being initiated within the broader framework of the case involving Ohanyan. The core of the allegations centres on the illegal appropriation of a 10,500-square-metre land plot in the Drakhtik community of the Gegharkunik region, a territory located within the protected bounds of the Sevan National Park.

Investigators allege that during his tenure as Defence Minister, Ohanyan illegally constructed a private mansion on the land using public funds. Prosecutor General Vardapetyan further stated that Artsvik Minasyan, who served as Minister of Nature Protection between 2016 and 2018, failed to provide a lawful response to Ohanyan’s actions.

Instead, according to the prosecution, Minasyan played an active role in concealing the offense by issuing construction permits to individuals linked to Ohanyan and enabling the falsification of official documents.

By Vafa Guliyeva