Armenia arrests six candidates for pro-Russian opposition day before vote

Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party on Saturday, the day before general elections, state media reported. No reason was given for the detentions, which target a party led by billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, currently under house arrest on charges of inciting government overthrow, which he denies as politically motivated.

The upcoming election is a key test for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's efforts to establish peace with Azerbaijan. It also occurs amid heightened tensions between Armenia and its traditional ally, Russia, which has imposed export restrictions on Yerevan due to its closer ties with the West. Armenian civil society groups have also voiced concerns about alleged Russian state-sponsored disinformation campaigns influencing the election.

The Strong Armenia party, which advocates for maintaining economic and political ties with Russia, is polling between 6% and 11%, placing it second behind Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party. The Central Election Commission reportedly authorized criminal proceedings against the arrested candidates. The Strong Armenia party and the Investigative Committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this week, the Interior Ministry reported 78 pre-election crimes and 44 detentions, though specific party affiliations were not detailed.