Former Armenian president challenges election commission decision

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has filed a lawsuit against Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), seeking to overturn a decision that cleared the way for criminal proceedings against him.

Kocharyan is contesting the CEC’s June 17 ruling that revoked his parliamentary immunity and authorised prosecutors to pursue a criminal case against him, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media. 

The legal challenge comes amid escalating political tensions following recent parliamentary elections. Kocharyan is not the only politician contesting the commission’s decision. David Kazinyan, a parliamentary candidate from the Strong Armenia party who is currently in custody, has also filed a lawsuit against the CEC over a similar matter.

The developments follow an incident on June 14, when Kocharyan was prevented from leaving Armenia through Zvartnots International Airport despite having announced a private trip abroad. Authorities later confirmed that a criminal investigation had been opened against the former president concerning a transaction dating back to 2004, during his time in office.

Kocharyan’s lawyer, Aram Orbelyan, has rejected the allegations, describing the case as politically motivated and calling the charges a fabrication.

The legal dispute comes shortly after Armenia’s parliamentary elections on June 7, in which the Armenia bloc emerged as the third-largest political force to secure representation in parliament.

By Sabina Mammadli