CEC explains Narek Karapetyan detention request return

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Central Election Commission (CEC) has returned, rather than rejected, the Prosecutor General's Office request seeking consent to deprive National Assembly member Narek Karapetyan of his liberty, CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan said. The commission concluded that examining the request falls outside its legal authority.

"The Central Election Commission considers it necessary to properly and fully inform the public that, at today's meeting, it did not reject the Prosecutor General's Office request to obtain consent to deprive Narek Karapetyan, elected to the National Assembly from the electoral list of the Strong Armenia alliance of political parties, of his liberty.

Instead, the Central Election Commission decided to return the request.

The Central Election Commission was guided by Constitutional Court Decision SDO-1619 of December 7, 2021, in which the Court stated the following legal position: '(...) c) A person who is deprived of liberty and does not hold the status of a member of parliament, upon acquiring the status of a member of parliament, except in the cases provided for by Article 96(2) of the Constitution, may not remain deprived of liberty.

From the moment a person acquires the status of a member of parliament, except in the cases provided for by Article 96(2) of the Constitution, that person may not be deprived of liberty in any other way without the consent of the National Assembly (...).' Accordingly, the Central Election Commission determined that consideration of the request to obtain consent to deprive National Assembly member Narek Karapetyan of his liberty falls outside the scope of its authority," Hovakimyan wrote.

Earlier, it became known that the Central Election Commission had approved the Prosecutor General's Office request to obtain consent to initiate criminal proceedings against Narek Karapetyan, a member of the Strong Armenia alliance who had received a parliamentary mandate. The information was announced by Prosecutor General's adviser Lusine Martirosyan.

The Central Election Commission had received two requests: one seeking consent to initiate criminal proceedings against Narek Karapetyan and another seeking consent to deprive him of his liberty. The second request was returned and was not accepted.