YEREVAN. – Armen Gevorgyan, former Deputy Prime Minister and currently an MP of the opposition "Armenia" Faction at the National Assembly (NA), believes that the issue of criminal prosecution against him should be clarified by the Constitutional Court. Gevorgyan's lawyer Erik Aleksanyan has submitted a respective motion to appeal to the Constitutional Court the relevant ruling of the first-instance court.

The legislative problem has arisen because the Armenian law provides for criminal prosecution of an MP only with the permission of the NA, whereas the law is silent on how to deal with a lawmaker who has already been prosecuted before becoming an MP.

Speaking at the court hearing on the criminal case of second President—and opposition “Armenia” Faction leader—Robert Kocharyan, and himself, Gevorgyan reminded that this case has become a serious source of development of rights in general.

Gevorgyan recalled that the new constitution has been in force in its entirety since April 9, 2018—that is, for only three years—, and therefore from the point of view of the development of the law, it is quite normal to apply to the Constitutional Court to clarify a provision.

"When a person goes to the National Assembly after the elections, he should not be ‘tied’ by the authorities. (…). I suggest that if there are doubts—and we have been discussing those doubts for two months now—, they should be dispelled. Only the Constitutional Court can do that," Gevorgyan said.

The "Armenia" Faction is looking into the constitutionality of the arrest of its two MPs. This sanction was imposed by the Central Electoral Commission, as the new parliament had not yet begun its work at that time.