CEC returns request seeking consent to prosecute Gagik Tsarukyan

Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has returned a request seeking its consent to initiate criminal proceedings against Gagik Tsarukyan, a parliamentary candidate on the Prosperous Armenia Party’s electoral list.

The decision was approved by seven votes in favour during a CEC session.

The issue was presented by CEC Deputy Chair Nune Hovhannisyan, who said the request had been submitted by the head of the Department for Crimes Against State Authority at the Prosecutor General’s Office.

“The request seeks the Commission’s consent to initiate public criminal prosecution against Gagik Kolya Tsarukyan, a parliamentary candidate included in the Prosperous Armenia Party’s electoral list for the June 7, 2026 National Assembly elections,” Hovhannisyan said.

She recalled that on May 3, the CEC had registered the Prosperous Armenia Party’s electoral list for participation in the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections, with Tsarukyan registered as the first candidate on the list.

Citing Article 91(1) of the Electoral Code, the CEC decided to return the request, along with the accompanying documents, seeking consent to initiate criminal proceedings against Tsarukyan.

During the same session, the Commission also returned a similar request seeking consent to prosecute Levon Nalbandyan, a parliamentary candidate on the electoral list of the Strong Armenia Alliance. That decision was also adopted by seven votes in favour.

The CEC explained that, under the Electoral Code, the rights and obligations granted to parliamentary candidates remain in force until the expiry of the deadline for challenging the Commission’s decision on the election results, or, if such a challenge is filed, until the Constitutional Court issues its ruling. Accordingly, the legal status of parliamentary candidate applied until July 4, 2026.

The Commission added that it has no authority to grant consent for criminal prosecution or detention of a person who no longer holds the legal status of a parliamentary candidate.

Tsarukyan was earlier placed in pre-trial detention for two months. He has been charged with fraud and money laundering.

He was detained on July 6 and taken to the Investigative Committee before later being transferred to court.

The Investigative Committee has said that, as part of the criminal proceedings, simultaneous searches were carried out at more than 70 locations in cooperation with the National Security Service, the State Revenue Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Police.