YEREVAN. – The First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (RA), Karen Karapetyan, on Monday made a statement in connection with the matter of removal of the parliamentary immunities of three opposition MPs of the National Assembly (NA).
“Today, we have made a decision, and I’ve appealed to the RA Prosecutor General to take back the petition regarding the [said] National Assembly deputies,” he noted speaking to reporters. “And I’m going right now to Mr. [Nikol] Pashinyan for a talk, so that we can negotiate and find a solution.
“Tomorrow’s day [Tuesday] is extremely important, and I believe that we will have so much logic and sobriety to show the whole world [that] we can sit down and find a logical solution, regardless of how much a complicated problem there is [in Armenia].”
A consultation took place just recently at the presidential residence. It brought together Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, President Armen Sarkissian, First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan, and NA Chairman Ara Babloyan.
Monday is the eleventh day of the mass demonstrations against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister by the parliament.
As reported earlier, Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of “My Step” initiative—which protests Sargsyan becoming PM—opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head, had a very short talk before the media on Sunday morning.
About an hour later, riot police used force against demonstrators on a street in Yerevan and took dozens of people into custody, including Civil Contract Party members and MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Sasun Mikayelyan.
Later, three of them were formally detained.
Pashinyan’s whereabouts, however, is currently unknown.
In order to arrest MPs of Armenia, the General Prosecutor’s Office needs to petition to the NA, with a request to strip lawmakers from their parliamentary immunity.
