Two MPs stripped of immunity to face charges

The Armenian parliament approved on Thursday the prosecution’s motion to strip two lawmakers of immunity for pressing charges against them in two unrelated cases. 

The motions were approved through a closed voting. 

Prosecutor-General Anna Vardapetyan officially requested parliament to allow prosecutors to press charges against MP Taron Margaryan (Pativ Unem faction) and independent MP Hovik Aghazaryan. 

Both opposition factions, Pativ Unem and Hayastan, did not participate in the vote.

The parliament majority, Civil Contract faction, announced before the vote that it would approve the motion.

The motion regarding Margaryan passed 67-0, while the motion pertaining to Aghazaryan was approved 65-2.

Vardapetyan told lawmakers that Aghazaryan is suspected of bribery. She said that Aghazaryan allegedly demanded 100,000$ from two entrepreneurs for arranging a livestock export license for them without the necessary procedures. The MP did not receive the bribe in this case. However, in another case, according to prosecutors, Aghazaryan allegedly took a 23,000$ bribe to secure a construction permit in Yerevan for a construction project. The MP allegedly took the bribe but didn’t deliver the promised permit. 

Aghazaryan has denied any wrongdoing.

Taron Margaryan, a former Yerevan mayor, is suspected of abuse of power during his tenure in a case pertaining to illegal alienation of municipal lands and money laundering. He has also denied wrongdoing.