Lawyer accuses Armenian authorities of trying to ‘terrorize’ public

Panorama

Lawyer Arsen Babayan on Thursday accused the Armenian authorities of using law enforcement to intimidate the public ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections, condemning the detention of two well-known opposition activists as politically motivated.

Earlier on Thursday, masked officers of the National Security Service (NSS) raided the homes of Imnemnimi podcast co-hosts Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan before arresting them on charges of “hooliganism”.

In a social media post, Babayan said the arrests “have nothing to do with criminal law or legal principles”, arguing that the operation was designed to pressure opposition media and influence the outcome of the upcoming parliamentary elections. He added that the involvement of the NSS, the manner of the arrests and obstacles created for defense lawyers confirm the political nature of the case.

“The incumbent authorities entered the pre-election phase long ago and are attempting to terrorize the public to reduce voter turnout or push people to vote for the ruling Civil Contract party,” the lawyer wrote.

He further claimed that the number of political prisoners in Armenia “has never been so high” since the country’s independence.