Former Armenian MP Arrested in Gyumri Ahead of Potential Snap Elections

Early on the morning of August 13, law enforcement officers in Gyumri arrested Martun Grigoryan. Grigoryan is the head of the "Our City" alliance and a prospective candidate for the Prosperous Armenia party in the 2026 parliamentary elections. The following day, on August 14, a court ordered the former MP to be held in pre-trial detention for two months.

Criminal Charges and Family Involvement

The Anti-Corruption Committee initiated the case approximately 3 months ago. Grigoryan is accused of violating Article 221 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits the distribution of charity during an electoral process. The politician's brother, Kamo Grigoryan, is also implicated in the case. On August 17, the court mitigated Kamo Grigoryan's pre-trial detention, transferring him to house arrest.

According to the investigative outlet Hetq.am, his brother faces charges under multiple provisions of the Criminal Code. The specific articles and sections are distributed as follows:

• Article 195, Part 2, Point 5,
• Article 297, Part 3,
• Article 335, Part 1.

Despite these developments, the politician's son, Karen Grigoryan, emphasizes that there is no panic within their ranks and that the team will continue its political work at the same pace starting in September.

Legal Assessments and the Defense's Stance

Currently held at the "Armavir" Penitentiary, Martun Grigoryan has issued a statement urging authorities not to target family members as part of a political struggle. Lawyer Arsen Babayan has dismissed the proceedings as a "legal illusion." He argues that investigators artificially delayed their actions until August 2—the exact date Grigoryan's parliamentary immunity expired. According to Article 96 of the Armenian Constitution, an active MP can only face criminal prosecution with the consent of the National Assembly.

Potential Political Motives

Members of the "Our City" faction in the Gyumri City Council believe the recent events are directly linked to the high probability of snap elections in the municipality. Faction leader Liza Gasparyan stated:

"We are convinced that major players are being removed from the political arena ahead of the presumed snap elections for the Gyumri City Council."

She expressed bewilderment over the timing, questioning why the arrest was executed now rather than on May 22, when law enforcement previously raided and searched the party's headquarters.

The necessity for early local elections and allegations of governance failures in Gyumri have been frequently raised by representatives of the ruling "Civil Contract" party and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Gyumri has essentially been without a mayor since October 20 of last year, with the council currently operating under the leadership of First Deputy Avetis Arakelyan. Gasparyan also pointed out a similar incident on June 25, when law enforcement searched the apartment of Karen Simonyan, head of the "Mother Armenia" faction. That raid temporarily derailed a city council session, although a quorum was ultimately secured.