Armenian Prosecutors Charge Opposition Lawmaker-Elect Narek Karapetyan With Money Laundering

Armenian prosecutors have formally charged opposition lawmaker-elect Narek Karapetyan with money laundering and financially inducing people to attend political rallies, hours after the country’s Central Election Commission authorized criminal proceedings against him.

Karapetyan, who led the Strong Armenia Alliance’s electoral list in the June 7 parliamentary elections, was charged under two provisions of Armenia’s Criminal Code.

Prosecutors accuse him of materially incentivizing people to participate in rallies and laundering money in particularly large amounts.

The charges were announced after the Central Election Commission, known as the CEC, approved a prosecution request to open criminal proceedings against Karapetyan. The commission, however, unanimously returned a separate motion seeking permission to deprive him of his liberty.

That decision blocks prosecutors from seeking his detention or house arrest under the motion they submitted.

Karapetyan’s attorney, Aram Vardevanyan, said the return of the detention request was legally equivalent to its rejection.

“There will be no question of detention or house arrest in Narek Karapetyan’s case,” Vardevanyan told reporters after the commission’s meeting.

He argued that Karapetyan had already acquired the constitutional status of a lawmaker after receiving his parliamentary mandate and could not be deprived of his liberty without the consent of the National Assembly.

Vardevanyan cited a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling that he said clearly protects a person who has obtained parliamentary status from detention without parliamentary approval.

The lawyer said the CEC returned the motion despite prosecutors continuing to press for its approval.

While welcoming the decision on detention, Vardevanyan condemned the commission’s authorization of criminal proceedings, calling it legally unfounded and politically motivated.

He predicted that prosecutors would bring what he described as an “illegal” and “absurd” charge against Karapetyan and seek a less restrictive preventive measure.

The defense says the case is linked to a separate investigation involving Strong Armenia supporter Alexan Aleksanyan. Aleksanyan has been accused of financially incentivizing people to attend a rally and laundering money in particularly large amounts.

Vardevanyan has described the investigation as “political theater” and “political persecution,” arguing that it is intended to interfere with Karapetyan’s work in the newly elected National Assembly.

Strong Armenia spokesperson Marianna Ghahramanyan also denounced the CEC’s decision, accusing the commission of committing another unlawful act.

“They are trying to isolate Narek Karapetyan. Strong Armenia will not break. You continue to be afraid,” she said.

The Prosecutor General’s Office submitted its motions to the CEC on July 13, but the commission began considering them only after parliamentary mandates were distributed.

Karapetyan received his mandate as the top candidate on the Strong Armenia list. The newly elected parliament is scheduled to hold its first session on Aug. 2.

CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan had said Karapetyan was registered as a lawmaker-elect but would formally assume his parliamentary powers once the new National Assembly convened.

Karapetyan led much of Strong Armenia’s election campaign on behalf of his uncle, businessman Samvel Karapetyan, the alliance’s formal leader.

Samvel Karapetyan was barred from running for parliament because of his dual citizenship. He is under house arrest and faces charges related to alleged calls for the usurpation of power and money laundering. His supporters reject the case as politically motivated.

Narek Karapetyan was also barred from leaving Armenia after the election, although authorities did not publicly explain the restriction.

He has separately faced an investigation over allegations that he failed to disclose foreign citizenship while registering as a parliamentary candidate.

The case is the latest criminal action involving prominent opposition figures following Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections.

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