Armenian law enforcement agencies have detained 14 activists of the Strong Armenia opposition party, led by Russian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan. The head of the party's office has been charged with violating the legal ban on charitable donations, according to party spokesperson Ghramanyan.

"The authorities are trying to create the illusion that Strong Armenia is using its charity to conduct illegal activities," she asserted.

Earlier, Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest in Yerevan, announced his intention to renounce his Russian and Cypriot citizenships. This is due to Armenian law requiring only Armenian citizenship to participate in the June 7 parliamentary elections.

However, experts believe that prematurely renouncing his Russian passportwill prevent the businessman, who was previously advocated for by Russian President Putin during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow, from participating in the elections. The Armenian Constitution prohibits individuals who have held another country's citizenship for the past four years from holding parliamentary positions or heading the government.

Karapetyan has previously been denied participation in elections and has also been accused of calling for a coup, which he denies.

Karapetyan has been a vocal critic of the current government, warning of the threat of an economic war with Russia and the "collapse of the Armenian economy" if Nikol Pashinyan's party wins. In response, the prime minister accused Karapetyan and his supporters of seeking to sabotage the peace agreement with Azerbaijan and "open the door to war," hinting at their pro-Russian leanings.