Karabakh activist Artur Osipyan must be released
Artur Osipyan is being prosecuted by the Armenian authorities following a verbal confrontation with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its Armenian member organisation Civil Society Institute (CSI) call for his release and the termination of all legal proceedings against him.
Paris, Yerevan — On 18 May 2026, during an election campaign event held by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan’s Arabkir district ahead of the Armenian parliamentary elections scheduled for 7 June 2026, Artur Osipyan, an activist and refugee from Nagorno-Karabakh, publicly confronted Prime Minister Pashinyan. In particular, Osipyan addressed the situation of Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and the events surrounding the military operations in 2020–2023, and accused the Prime Minister of having “destroyed Artsakh” (the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh) and of promoting Azerbaijani narratives regarding the conflict and displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nikol Pashinyan responded with threats such as “I will crush you“, and replied: “You should have gone and died in place of our children (…) Why are you alive? Why are you alive (…) You scumbag, why are you alive?” alluding to Azerbaijan’s 2023 military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which forced over 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee Karabakh in a mass exodus.
Shortly after this verbal exchange, Armenian authorities arrested Artur Osipyan in Yerevan, and initiated criminal proceedings against him on charges including hooliganism (part 1 of Article 297 of the Armenian Criminal Code), obstruction of election campaigning (part 1 of Article 211 of the Criminal Code), and public calls for violence (point 3 of part 2 of Article 330 of the Criminal Code).
On 20 May 2026, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan ordered his placement in pre-trial detention for a period of two months at the Nubarashen prison. At the time of publication of this statement, the authorities had not publicly specified which exact statements or acts constituted the basis for these accusations.
FIDH and CSI note with concern that Artur Osipyan started a hunger strike since the beginning of his detention, demanding a public apology from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. His lawyer has also raised concerns regarding his conditions of detention, including reports that he is being held in a damp cell without adequate sunlight, as well as his deteriorating health condition.
FIDH and CSI express serious concern regarding the criminalization measures taken against Artur Osipyan. Public debate, including charged political exchanges, falls within the scope of freedom of expression protected under the Armenian Constitution and international law. Public officials, particularly during electoral periods, must tolerate a higher degree of criticism.
FIDH and CSI recall that any restriction on freedom of expression must comply with the requirements established under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), to which Armenia is a State party. In accordance with Article 10(2) of the ECHR, restrictions on freedom of expression must be prescribed by law, pursue a legitimate aim, and remain necessary and proportionate in a democratic society. The arrest, criminal prosecution and pre-trial detention of Artur Osipyan following a verbal exchange with the Prime Minister are manifestly disproportionate and risk creating a chilling effect on political criticism and freedom of expression during the electoral period.
FIDH and CSI strongly condemn the arrest, criminal prosecution and detention of Artur Osipyan, which appear to be politically motivated and aimed at silencing him and deterring other individuals from publicly criticising the policies of the Armenian authorities, and urge the Armenian authorities to immediately release Artur Osipyan and drop all charges against him.
