Armenian opposition leader calls on PM to give up citizenship

Samvel Karapetyan, leader of Armenia's opposition Strong Armenia party, has challenged Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to renounce his Armenian citizenship.

Karapetyan, a Russian oligarch, made the remarks during a briefing with journalists in response to a question about the process of renouncing his Russian and Cypriot citizenships, TASS reported.

“Why don't you ask Pashinyan why he doesn't renounce his Armenian citizenship? Let him renounce his citizenship. Ask him this question as well,” Karapetyan said.

On April 15, Karapetyan said during a court hearing that he had begun the process of renouncing all citizenships except Armenian citizenship.

On June 3, Narek Karapetyan, a member of the governing board of Strong Armenia and the party leader's nephew, told Armenia's Public Television that the process of renouncing Karapetyan's Russian and Cypriot citizenships had begun and would be completed before the inauguration of Armenia's new prime minister.

By Tamilla Hasanova