Armenian authorities launch criminal probe into opposition candidate

The Armenian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against Narek Karapetyan, the lead candidate the opposition Strong Armenia alliance in the June 7 parliamentary elections, over allegations he concealed foreign citizenship.

Officials said on Wednesday that Karapetyan submitted a declaration to the Interior Ministry’s Migration and Citizenship Service stating he was not a citizen of another country. Investigators allege the statement was false and that he deliberately withheld information about holding or having held foreign citizenship, which would bar him from serving as a public official. The case was initiated under Article 449.1 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, which penalizes concealing information that prevents acquiring or maintaining official status.

The statement followed a social media post by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, who shared images listing Karapetyan as a Russian citizen. In response to Karapetyan’s earlier remarks, Simonyan wrote: “Narek Karenovich, you don’t need to explain anything to me. You’ll speak to the investigator.” The Investigative Committee issued the statement soon after Simonyan’s comments.

A preliminary investigation is underway.