Armenia's CEC Approves Prosecution Request Against MP-Elect

Armenia's Central Electoral Commission has approved a request from the Prosecutor General's Office to authorize criminal prosecution against Narek Karapetyan, an MP-elect from the Strong Armenia alliance. The CEC granted the first of two motions submitted—one to initiate criminal proceedings and another to permit deprivation of liberty. Only the prosecution authorization has been considered so far. A lawyer representing the Strong Armenia alliance linked the proceedings against Karapetyan to charges against another alliance member, Alik Aleksanyan. The Prosecutor General's Office declined to comment on details of the case, citing the ongoing investigation. Karapetyan was awarded a parliamentary seat following June 7 elections, with mandates allocated by the CEC on July 21.