Armenia: Authorities arrest opposition politicians after elections

Armenian authorities have arrested several opposition politicians approximately two weeks after the parliamentary elections held in early June. Among those detained are Ruslan Barseghyan and Ashot Eghiazaryan from the "Strong Armenia" party, who face up to two months in pre-trial detention. Former parliament member Ruben Akopyan and opposition politician Asatur Kocharyan have also been arrested or placed under house arrest.

Official justifications for the arrests cite allegations of vote-buying. However, the "Strong Armenia" party, which is backed by Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, vehemently condemned the detentions. The party described the actions as a "complete attempt to destroy democracy" and accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government of weaponizing investigative bodies, prosecutors, and courts for suppression.

The "Strong Armenia" party has vowed to fight these measures, stating they will not tolerate them and will combat them with the full force of the law. Adding to the political turmoil, the party has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court challenging the election results. Other parties have joined this legal challenge, and the court has two days to decide whether to hear the case. Prime Minister Pashinyan's "Civil Contract" party secured 49.7 percent of the vote, according to the Central Election Commission, allowing him to continue governing. Pashinyan aims to loosen Armenia's ties to Russia and strengthen relations with the West.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observed that while voters had "real choices," the election campaign was "extremely confrontational." The OSCE also noted that numerous criminal cases against opposition candidates created an impression of selective justice, further complicating the political landscape.

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einen Eindruck einer selektiven Justiz entstehen lassen