Armenia’s National Assembly has voted to approve criminal proceedings against Seyran Ohanyan, the leader of the opposition “Hayastan” bloc, and the faction’s secretary, Artsvik Minasyan. According to reports from Armenian media, 59 deputies supported the motion to strip both lawmakers of parliamentary immunity.
Seyran Ohanyan, widely accused of war crimes during Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories, is now facing prosecution for alleged corruption during his tenure as Armenia’s defence minister from 2008 to 2016. Prior to that, Ohanyan held a leadership position in the former separatist regime in Karabakh. He was a key military figure in both the First and Second Karabakh Wars and has been linked to atrocities such as the 1992 Khojaly Massacre. During the 2020 conflict, he acted as a senior military adviser responsible for the defence of Shusha.
The new charges against him relate to the alleged illegal seizure of protected land in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province. Investigators claim he unlawfully took control of over 10,000 square metres of territory belonging to the Sevan National Park and used government resources to construct a personal villa on the site.
Artsvik Minasyan, who served as Minister of Environment from 2016 to 2018, is accused of failing to act against the alleged misappropriation. Instead, he is believed to have facilitated the cover-up by authorising construction permits for Ohanyan’s associates and enabling document falsification.
This parliamentary decision marks a significant legal move against two prominent figures in Armenia’s political opposition, both of whom have long been controversial for their wartime roles and actions in office.
