Armenian parliament asked to allow opposition MP's prosecution

Armenia's Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan has asked the National Assembly speaker to strip opposition Hayastan bloc MP Mher Sahakyan of immunity from prosecution and allow criminal charges against him, her office told Panorama.am on Monday.

Sahakyan is accused of assaulting his pro-government colleague Vladimir Vardanyan at a closed meeting of the parliament committee on legal affairs on March 31.

Vardanyan, who represents the ruling Civil Contract party, suffered an eyebrow injury and was treated in hospital following the incident.

Sahakyan was arrested on suspicion of “hooliganism,” but was released three days later. He blamed the brawl on Vardanyan’s “provocative behavior”.

The Prosecutor General's Office claims that the investigation has obtained sufficient evidence to bring hooliganism charges against the opposition MP.