Armenia’s Corruption Prevention Commission (CPC) has imposed a 200,000-dram administrative fine on Samvel Karapetyan, chairman of the Strong Armenia party, for failing to submit his legally required asset and income declaration within the prescribed deadline after assuming office as a member of the party’s governing body.

According to Iravaban.net, citing the CPC, the commission found that Karapetyan, who has been registered as chairman and a permanent member of the party’s executive body since February 27, 2026, failed to submit the declaration required upon taking office.

The CPC said it repeatedly notified Karapetyan of his obligation to file the declaration via email, registered mail, and a public notice published on Azdarar.am. Under Armenian law, he was deemed to have been properly notified on April 23, but still failed to submit the declaration within the additional 30-day period.

Karapetyan’s lawyer, Aram Vardevanyan, informed the commission that his client’s court-ordered house arrest prohibited him from using communication devices, corresponding by mail, or even receiving postal deliveries, making it practically impossible to gather the information needed to complete the declaration. The defense requested either an extension or assistance from the investigative authorities.

The CPC replied that it had no legal authority to extend the filing deadline but suggested alternative solutions, including authorizing another person to prepare the declaration, using accountants or financial specialists, requesting permission from investigators to access the electronic declaration system, or, if necessary, submitting the declaration in paper form.

Although the filing deadline could not be extended, the commission twice prolonged its administrative proceedings by ten days to allow Karapetyan additional time to seek permission from the criminal investigation authorities to visit banks and obtain the information required for the declaration.

During the proceedings, another defense lawyer, Haykuhi Nikolayan, argued that the principal obstacle was obtaining bank records protected by banking secrecy, since Karapetyan could not personally visit banks while under house arrest. The commission responded that such information could be accessed electronically, through banking applications, or by an authorized representative. The defense countered that granting a representative access would expose far more banking information than what is ultimately disclosed in the public declaration.

The CPC also noted that it found no evidence that Karapetyan or his lawyers had requested—and been denied—permission from the court or investigators to obtain the necessary banking information.

The commission further referred to legislative amendments that entered into force on July 6, 2026, under which restrictions imposed by house arrest do not apply to actions required to fulfill legal obligations if failure to do so could result in legal liability. It concluded that filing an asset declaration falls into that category and therefore house arrest could no longer be considered a legal obstacle after that date.

The defense also argued that the administrative proceedings should have been suspended until the conclusion of Karapetyan’s criminal case. The CPC rejected that request, stating that the criminal proceedings were unrelated to the failure to submit an asset declaration.

The commission additionally noted that the Strong Armenia party itself had informed the CPC of Karapetyan’s appointment later than required by law, but said that delay effectively gave him even more time to submit the declaration.

According to the decision, Karapetyan accepted the party chairmanship while already under house arrest and should have anticipated the declaration requirements associated with the position. The CPC added that other individuals under house arrest—and even some serving prison sentences—had previously managed to submit their declarations, including in paper form.

The commission also emphasized that, before the proceedings concluded, it had received numerous public information requests regarding Karapetyan’s declaration, while media outlets had published reports about his possible assets. In the CPC’s assessment, the absence of the declaration restricted the public’s right to information about the financial status of a politically influential figure and undermined confidence in Armenia’s asset declaration system.

The commission ultimately concluded that Karapetyan had committed the administrative offense предусмотренный Article 169.28(1) of Armenia’s Code of Administrative Offenses by failing to submit the declaration both within the statutory deadline and within the additional 30-day period granted after official notification.

Finding no mitigating or aggravating circumstances, the CPC imposed the statutory administrative penalty of 200,000 drams.