Verelq: Elections in Armenia. From state durability to credit

Jane Topchian Leave a comment
Photo: ИЗВЕСТИЯ/Zurab Javakhadze

Ahead of the parliamentary elections to be held on June 7, the political field of Armenia has turned into a platform for the clash of plans. While the ruling party promises to lay the foundations of an eternal state, abandoning short-term planning, the opposition proposes radical steps to rescue the debt-ridden population and renew dilapidated infrastructure.


The pre-election race, which started on May 8 and brought together 19 political forces (17 parties and 2 blocs), will continue until June 5. The ruling Civil Pact party, which runs under number 16 under the slogan “Stand Up for Peace,” submitted an extensive list of 283 main and 10-minority candidates to the CEC. Nikol Pashinyan, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, called the active participation of children in the campaign a “children’s revolution” at a meeting with citizens in the Davtashen administrative district.


According to him, the people and the Government are on the same pulse, and the country has finally overcome the logic of planning life only “after the New Year, after the holidays”. Pashinyan emphasized that the main task of the elections is to take Armenia on a hundred-year and thousand-year highway, providing the state with the status of a safe, developed and eternally existing republic.


The opposition proposes a completely different agenda, focusing on acute socio-economic problems. On May 17, representatives of the “Strong Armenia” bloc conducted a campaign in the city of Metsamor. Narek Karapetyan, a member of the Political Council, noted with regret that the energy heart of the country remained in the Soviet past. during twenty years, only small kiosks have been renovated here. The alliance claims that most of the taxes paid by the NPP should be returned to Metsamor for the active development of the city.


The issue of agriculture in the Ararat Valley is no less acute. we have 95 percent water loss due to old irrigation systems. Karapetyan sees the solution to the problem in the modernization of the Sevan-Hrazdan cascade. In addition, the alliance promises radical credit reforms.


Citing Georgia as an example, where the loan interest rate is 8%, compared to 15-24% in Armenia, the oppositionists proposed a new mechanism for the protection of debtors. if a person is unable to pay the loan for 18 months, the Enforcement Service will not freeze his accounts, and the principal amount of the loan will be repaid by the state at the expense of the citizen’s tax payments after he enters official employment.


The theme of social justice and financial amnesty was continued by the “Prosperous Armenia” party. Party leader during the large-scale march held in Erebuni administrative region Gagik Tsarukyan emphasized that their pre-election program was not written while sitting in the cabinets, but on the basis of the real issues raised during the meetings with the residents of the marzes.


Reminding that he comes from an ordinary worker’s family and was founded from scratch, Tsarukyan promised to make education and health care completely free. And for the population affected by co-epidemic, economic crisis and war, the main lifeline should be the complete forgiveness of problematic loans up to 3 million drams. The leader of the party assured the voters that he neither wants a position, nor recognition, nor does he have a personal issue to resolve. its sole purpose is to put a smile on people’s faces.

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Arrests in Lori. the oppositionists obstructed the CP campaign

Emil Lazarian Leave a comment
Photo: rossaprimavera.ru

The court of Lori region arrested six supporters of the “Strong Armenia” alliance on charges of violently obstructing the election campaign of the ruling “Civil Agreement” party. campaign, which was coordinated by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, who was on vacation.


The RA Investigative Committee reported details of the criminal proceedings initiated in connection with the incidents that took place in Lori Marz. According to the pre-investigative body, on May 16, a group of supporters of the “Strong Armenia” alliance purposefully tried to defeat the pre-announced campaign events of the ruling power.


The incidents were registered in several settlements. At the beginning of Norashen, the participants of the action blocked the traffic section of the road with cars. On the same day, the representatives of the opposition turned on loud music in the square of Andranik street in the Metsavan settlement and, according to the investigation, used violence against the participants of the meeting of the “Civil Contract” party.


The remarkable circumstance of these events is that in those days the campaign of the ruling party in Lori marz was personally led by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia who was on vacation. Suren Papikyan։


As a result of police actions, ten people were initially arrested on suspicion of obstructing propaganda by a group of people. As of now, according to the court’s decision, six of them have been arrested, and one more has been placed under house arrest as a preventive measure.


Regarding the other three detainees, the pre-investigation body has also submitted arrest petitions to the court, the dates of which have not been set yet. The criminal investigation continues.

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Samvel Karapetyan criticized Pashinyan’s “debt economy”

Boris Nahapetian Leave a comment
Photo: screenshot from the video

The pre-election campaign in Armenia is entering an active phase, revealing sharp socio-economic contradictions. Within the framework of his visit to the Lori Marz affected by the earthquake, Prime Minister candidate Samvel Karapetyan severely criticized the current government’s economic policy, placing the main emphasis on the problems of public debt, demographic crisis and inefficient spending of budget funds.


On May 17, meeting with the residents of Spitak, the leader of the “Strong Armenia” party referred to the historical memory of the region. The politician recalled the tragic events of 1988, noting that he was not far from the epicenter of the earthquake and personally witnessed the scale of the destruction. Turning to the modern agenda, Karapetyan emphasized that today the region suffers from lack of attention and lack of real production. According to him, instead of systematically restoring the industrial potential, the authorities are busy with populism, loudly reporting about asphalted kilometers.


The opposition candidate expressed his conviction that the entire modern economy of the country is based exclusively on debt obligations. Breaking out of that vicious circle will take a long time and will require abandoning short-term projects in favor of real job creation. Karapetyan accused the country’s leadership of not opening any large enterprises for the past eight years, while his team has implemented several such projects. He also questioned the quality of infrastructure projects of the authorities, hinting at corruption risks. Local residents defended the candidate, complaining that the asphalt laid last year has already started to crumble. However, the main threat to the state, according to the politician, remains mass emigration and depopulation.


Let us remind that the extraordinary parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 7. The campaign, in which 17 parties and 2 political blocs participate, will continue until June 5. The main opponent of the opposition is the ruling party “Civil Agreement” led by the current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which is nominated under the number 16, with the slogan “Stand up for peace”.

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Pashinyan predicts the cancellation of Schengen visas in 1-2 years

Ophelia Vardapetian Leave a comment
Photo: kizaket.com

The prospect of visa-free entry into the Schengen zone for Armenian citizens may become a reality within the next one or two years. Against the background of the European Commission’s positive report on Yerevan’s successes in the field of migration, the country’s leadership makes optimistic predictions about the dates of signing the historic agreement with the European Union.


On May 17, Prime Minister during a meeting with voters in Davtashen administrative district of the capital within the framework of the pre-election campaign Nikol Pashinyan expressed his belief that the complete liberalization of the visa regime with the EU will be implemented after one or two years. This statement, made in response to a question from a local resident, is based on official European statistics and the latest estimates from Brussels. Earlier, on May 12, the European Commission published the first progress report of Armenia on the implementation of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan.


The European document records stable positive dynamics of integration. according to experts, from 2019 to 2024, the number of Schengen visas issued to RA citizens increased from 51 thousand to more than 86 thousand. The commission emphasizes qualitative changes. the share of multiple entry permits reached 43.5 percent, combined with a steady decline in the refusal rate.


Such a trend is a direct evidence of the increasing trust of European consular services towards traveling Armenians. The official dialogue between Yerevan and Brussels on the visa-free regime started in September 2024, and the detailed Action Plan was handed over to Armenian diplomacy in November 2025.

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Kocharyan offers an IQ test for the Prime Minister

Albert Nalbandian Leave a comment
Photo: “Armenia” alliance

Ahead of the parliamentary elections to be held on June 7, political rhetoric in Armenia is intensifying. Robert Kocharyan, the prime ministerial candidate of the “Armenia” opposition alliance, came forward with the initiative of constitutional reforms, proposing to establish a mandatory educational censure for the highest officials of the state.


During the pre-election rally held in Charentsavan on May 17, the leader of the political force announced the need for IQ testing for prime ministerial candidates. Developing the theme of educational standards, the politician emphasized the importance of working with the voters so that the society realizes the importance of professional knowledge in the management of the country.


In this context, he criticized the current head of the government Nikol Pashinyanrecalling the fact that he did not have a higher education and was expelled from the university.


In his speech, Kocharyan paid special attention to the state structure of Armenia. He expressed his belief that the semi-presidential form of government is the most optimal for the republic, pointing out the need to review the powers of the president.


The acting presidential institute described the politician as purely decorative. According to him, keeping a staff of one hundred people for a position that has no real power is an unjustified and meaningless burden on the state budget.


Let’s remind that the pre-election campaign in Armenia started on May 8 and will continue until June 5. 19 political forces are fighting for parliamentary mandates in the elections to be held on June 7.

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A threat to the “Alpha Sami”. Pashinyan’s harsh speech

Bedik Zaminian Leave a comment
Photo: primeminister.am

The pre-election campaign of the ruling power in Yerevan was marked by sharp fluctuations in rhetoric. Speaking about the achieved peace and the improvement of the lives of pensioners, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued unprecedented harsh threats to political opponents, accusing them of inciting a new war.


During the meeting with the voters in Arabkir administrative district of the capital, the leader of the ruling power started his speech with socio-economic topics. He stated that the purchasing power of Armenian pensioners has increased significantly. according to him, today elderly people can afford not only to buy bread, but also at least one pair of shoes or dishes per year, which, as he claims, was impossible under the previous authorities.


Turning to foreign policy issues, the head of the government congratulated the citizens on the establishment of peace in the region. He emphasized that the authorities of Armenia work with their immediate neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, noting that the dialogue should be built with them, and not with countries with which there are no conflict situations, citing Australia as an example.


However, the pacifist rhetoric was soon replaced by harsh accusations against the three main opposition forces. Pashinyan stated that his opponents are leading the country to war because they are sure that their children will not fight there. As an argument, he reminded that he personally sent his son to the front, and asked about the location of the children of some oligarchs and oppositionists during military operations.


The emotional background of the speech reached its peak when the Prime Minister switched to direct threats and street slang. Calling the children of some representatives of the opposition field “puppies of the Kaluga oligarch”, he promised to take physical revenge against those who, according to his wording, put them in the place of “alpha Sami”. At the end of the speech, Pashinyan advised the oppositionists not to leave their homes, warning that they will go after them, otherwise, according to him, the election process will turn into something completely different.

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Criminal Cases, Insults, and Claims of Foreign Control: Armenia’s Election Cam

Arpi Talalian Leave a comment
May 16 2026

This material is part of a partnership with OC Media. You can read the original English version here.

As the first week of Armenia’s official election campaign period draws to a close, tensions have escalated, accompanied by new criminal charges of vote-buying and insulting political rhetoric, including allegations that candidates are being controlled from abroad.

On Thursday, Armenian authorities announced three separate criminal cases and numerous arrests, two of which were related to alleged vote-buying.

In one case, an undisclosed number of members and supporters of former President Robert Kocharyan’s “Armenia” bloc were arrested in Spitak (Lori Province).

Authorities claim that the head of the bloc’s local office provided charitable aid at a time when a legislative ban on charitable activities was in effect ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7. The same individual, along with others, is also accused of “obstructing the free exercise of the electoral right of a resident of the same region, manifested in the threat of violence against the latter.”

This marked the first such criminal case against the “Armenia” bloc, which rejected the allegations, calling the case “not a legal process, but another cheap attempt to obstruct the normal functioning of our structures.”

The bloc also stated that “the authorities are trying to create an atmosphere of fear through such methods,” characterizing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government as an “authoritarian regime.”

Separately, Armenian police reported that a man was detained in Yerevan on Wednesday while handing over 50,000 drams ($135) to another person as an alleged election bribe. Authorities did not disclose which political party the case was linked to.

In another case, Armenian authorities arrested and launched an investigation into a man after he posted an online address on Tuesday containing insults directed at Pashinyan. The criminal case was initiated on charges of public speech aimed at inciting or promoting hatred, discrimination, intolerance, or enmity.

On Thursday, Pashinyan praised Armenia’s law enforcement agencies for their “effective fight” against election bribery.

The following day, in line with the trend of recent months, reports emerged of new arrests of members or supporters of the “Strong Armenia” bloc, led by Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan.

Rhetoric of “Hambals” and Claims of External Control

In addition to the arrests, Kocharyan called Pashinyan a “hambal” (a crude, uneducated, or primitive person) during a heated discussion on Thursday. Pashinyan later used the same term in his response.

Kocharyan stated that no one in Armenia’s history had previously spoken out “against [national] identity and the Church.” “Hey, you hambal, what do you have against this? What is driving you? In all seriousness, why are you hurting an entire nation? For whose sake?” Kocharyan asked.

He further suggested that Pashinyan is being controlled from the outside.

“I have the impression that there is some kind of remote control, and there is a chip in [Pashinyan’s] head, and this head is being controlled by that remote from somewhere—definitely not from Armenia. Now this man, in my opinion, has become like [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev’s lapdog,” Kocharyan said.

He also argued that such rhetoric was a response to Pashinyan “crossing the line” in his statements.

Earlier on Thursday, Pashinyan stated that Kocharyan should be imprisoned for the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in March 2008, which occurred during Kocharyan’s presidency and claimed 10 lives. In turn, Kocharyan accused Pashinyan of being the “instigator and the main person responsible” for those events.

Kocharyan also claimed that while three former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh are imprisoned in Azerbaijan, Pashinyan received instructions via “remote control” to imprison the fourth, Kocharyan, in Armenia.

Before moving to Armenia, Kocharyan served as the president of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1994 to 1997.

“Kocharyan said that the word ‘hambal’ is accepted in the Civil Contract party. That is true, because when we talk about him, we use that very word—hambal,” Pashinyan said in his response in a Facebook video on Thursday evening.

In another video, he challenged Kocharyan to write the word “identity” live on air, in what appeared to be a jab at Kocharyan’s linguistic skills.

“Western Azerbaijan” vs. the Union State

Karapetyan, whose “Strong Armenia” bloc is expected to be the main rival to Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party in the upcoming elections, also stated on Thursday that Armenian border villages have become deserted due to demographic trends. He further claimed that if Pashinyan is re-elected, 300,000 Azerbaijanis will be resettled in Armenia.

The claim about the resettlement of Azerbaijanis in Armenia has become a recurring talking point for Karapetyan and other opposition figures. In turn, Pashinyan rejected these accusations, calling them “lies.”

“Such an issue has never been on our agenda with Azerbaijan, nor on our broader international agenda. These people are now spending millions of dollars to create and inject this agenda into the political life of the Republic of Armenia. Only foreign spies act in this manner,” Pashinyan stated on Friday.

In addition to statements by politicians, AI-generated videos have also circulated online, including claims that if Pashinyan is re-elected, Armenia will become “Western Azerbaijan,” while if the opposition comes to power, Armenia will join a “Union State” with Russia and Belarus.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has launched a campaign around the concept of “Western Azerbaijan”—a term that refers not to its own territory, but to part or all of the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

OC Media: For ease of reading, we have chosen not to use qualifiers such as “de facto,” “unrecognized,” or “partially recognized” when discussing institutions or political positions in Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply that we take any position on their status.

https://sovanews.tv/en/2026/05/16/criminal-cases-insults-and-claims-of-foreign-control-armenias-election-campaign-heats-up/

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The suicide of a man arrested for damaging an election poster has raised quest

Kalantarian Kevo Leave a comment
Caucasian Knot
May 17 2026
The suicide of a man arrested for damaging an election poster has raised questions about Armenian security forces.
The destruction of an election poster should have been treated as an administrative offense, and the criminal prosecution and detention of Armenian resident Armen Hovhannisyan were illegal, human rights activists and a lawyer stated after the detainee committed suicide.

As reported by the “Caucasian Knot,” on May 16, it was reported that Armenian resident Armen Hovhannisyan committed suicide in the Nubarashen Psychiatric Hospital after being detained after tearing down an election poster.

A case was opened against Hovhannisyan under Article 211 of the Criminal Code (obstructing campaigning). He was initially held in a detention facility, but no charges were brought against him. He was then transferred to a psychiatric hospital after security forces noticed his unstable behavior, Factor.am reported.

Human rights activists and a lawyer criticized security forces for prosecuting Hovhannisyan
Five human rights activists issued a statement in connection with the death of the detainee, Aysor.am reported today. The authors of the joint statement, whose names are not included in the publication, considered the man’s detention “a gross violation of the law by the law enforcement system.”

“The act of tearing down a poster is clearly defined in the legislation of the Republic of Armenia in Article 40.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and cannot serve as grounds for initiating a criminal case or, even more so, for arresting a person in criminal proceedings. This is an elementary legal truth that all officials involved in the process were obliged to know and take into account. However, a reality has developed in Armenia in which the law enforcement system has become a political tool, and the law is subject to arbitrary interpretation,” the human rights activists stated.

They are convinced that the incident cannot be presented as an “accident” or a “personal tragedy.” “This is a consequence of legal permissiveness, impunity, and the flagrant distortion of the law by law enforcement agencies,” the statement reads.

Damaging the poster can in no way entail criminal liability.

Lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan expressed a similar opinion, commenting on the detainee’s suicide. “Damaging a campaign poster is an administrative offense (Article 40.11 of the RA Code of Administrative Offenses). The penalty is a fine of 50,000-100,000 drams (from 135 to 270 dollars. – Note from the “Caucasian Knot”). Damaging a poster can in no way entail criminal liability. The death of a man who committed suicide in the Nubarashen Psychiatric Hospital lies on the conscience of law enforcement officials if the facts presented in the media are confirmed,” the publication quotes him as saying today.

Authorities stated that doctors were unable to save the detainee
The Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Health commented on Hovhannisyan’s death today, News.am reports.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Hovhannisyan was detained and was initially held in the detention facility of the Artashat Community Police Department. “On May 16, at approximately 9:30 a.m., the detainee was observed exhibiting mental instability, after which an ambulance was called. On the instructions of an ambulance doctor, the detainee, accompanied by police officers, was taken by ambulance to a mental health center,” the publication quoted the ministry’s statement.

The Ministry of Health, in turn, stated that the suicide was committed “in a very short period of time.”

“Medical personnel immediately responded to the situation and carried out the necessary emergency measures, but were unable to save the patient’s life. The patient, who had the status of a detainee, was monitored in accordance with the procedure established by law. All circumstances of the incident are being investigated by law enforcement agencies,” the publication quoted the Ministry of Health’s statement.

Activity of opponents of the ruling party attracts particular attention from security forces
As a reminder, on May 16, security forces also detained 10 supporters of the Strong Party Armenia,” who are suspected of obstructing the election campaign of representatives of the ruling party in the Lori region.

The day before, on May 15, security forces in the Yerevan metro detained a woman who had used a felt-tip pen to write a message on an election poster of the ruling Civil Contract party. The woman has been incommunicado, her lawyer reported.

The arrests of opposition supporters come amid accusations against the ruling party of abuse of power. Thus, on May 15, former Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan, who heads the Wings of Unity party’s candidate list, stated that college students in Armavir were forced to participate in a pre-election event in the interests of Armenia’s ruling party.

On May 13, teachers and students from schools in the Aragatsotn region, instead of attending school, participated in the ruling party’s election campaign. The Electoral Commission recalled that involving public sector employees and schoolchildren in election campaigning contradicts the Electoral Code. Representatives of the ruling party distanced themselves from the incident, but observers and the teachers themselves confirmed the violation.

Armenia’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 7. Seventeen parties and two blocs have been admitted. Samvel Karapetyan’s “Strong Armenia,” Robert Kocharyan’s “Armenia” bloc, and Gagik Tsarukyan’s “Prosperous Armenia” party are the most pro-Russian candidates in the upcoming elections. The Kremlin is backing Karapetyan, but he is legally ineligible to participate. The “Caucasian Knot” has prepared a report titled “2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia.”

Translated automatically via Google translate from class=”gmail_default” st1yle=”font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small”>
Source: Caucasian Knot

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Armenia: Pashinyan Accuses Opponents Of Ties To Former Elites

Frangulian Shushan Leave a comment
Eurasia Review
May 18 2026
 May 18, 2026  0By PanARMENIAN

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at a Civil Contract rally in Armavir, again built his speech around criticism of former authorities, saying his team was fighting a “three-headed mafia.”

“They will keep feeling the taste of the Republic of Armenia for a long time, the taste of the state will remain in their mouths for a long time. They will dream of the opportunity to flee Armenia, but they will not have that opportunity,” he said, according to Aravot.am.

He also said financial flows had been cut from their pockets and redirected to Armenia’s state budget. Pashinyan then referred to the names of opposition political forces.

“They have included the name Armenia in the names of their political forces. They do not deserve to have the name Armenia in the names of their parties. On June 7, 2026, you must reclaim the name Armenia. Armenia is your name, our name, they have nothing to do with Armenia and the name Armenia,” he said.

The election campaign that began on May 8 will continue until June 5. June 6 will be a day of silence, while the elections will take place on June 7.

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Yerevan court accepts Pashinyan’s defamation case over Kareptyan’s hallucinog

Emil Lazarian Leave a comment
OC Media
May 18 2026
by Nate Ostiller

A court in Yerevan has accepted a defamation case filed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan against Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, who heads the Strong Armenia Alliance and is Pashinyan’s highest-polling competitor in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Earlier in May, Karapetyan had accused Pashinyan of taking hallucinogenic mushrooms he had obtained in China before making public speeches, which he said was a reason not to take Pashinyan seriously.

Pashinyan swiftly denied the allegations and said shortly after he planned to file a lawsuit against Karapetyan.

‘Naturally, I am going to sue [Karapetyan] and, in the legal sense of the word, make [Karapetyan] eat one tonne of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Excuse my harsh language, but in the end, everything has its limits’, Pashinyan said earlier in May.

The state-run media outlet Armenpress reported on Friday that the lawsuit had been accepted, and that Pashinyan was demanding restitution of ֏6 million ($16,250) in damages, as well as an official retraction and apology from Karapetyan.

Despite being named its prime ministerial candidate, Karapetyan has not been included in the alliance’s electoral list. His nomination has sparked controversy due to legal requirements that stipulate that candidates for the position should hold only Armenian citizenship and have resided in the country for the past four years — requirements Karapetyan does not mean.

Karapetyan announced in April that he had initiated the process of renouncing his Russian and Cypriot citizenship ahead of the elections.

He is currently under house arrest over criminal charges of calling for a coup.

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