Targeting of opponents, misuse of judiciary raise election concerns

2026-03-18 - 14:51

YEREVAN, Armenia — A deteriorating environment for political and civil rights in Armenia raises serious concerns about the democratic conditions necessary for a free and fair election, the International Observatory for Democracy in Armenia (IODA) said at a press conference in Yerevan today. The organization presented its preliminary assessment following its initial fact-finding mission in the country this week. Evidence of the government interference in the independence of the judiciary and religious establishment, as well as politicized prosecutions of perceived political opponents — including political leaders, media figures, lawyers and members of the clergy — has undermined confidence in a level playing field for political competition. “A small country surrounded by hostile neighbors, Armenia’s most precious asset is its democracy. That rarity in the region makes it particularly troubling to see the government chipping away at democratic freedoms in the country ahead of the June 7 parliamentary election,” said Kenneth Roth, an IODA executive board member. “The international community has unfortunately misfocused its attention on securing a partisan outcome, whether ‘pro-West’ or ‘pro-Russian,’ rather than on preserving what is most important: a thriving democracy,” said Philippe Kalfayan, an IODA executive board member. The IODA is an independent, nonpartisan organization formed to monitor democracy and human rights conditions in Armenia ahead of the June 2026 elections. It has no affiliation with any national or multinational government or agency and is composed entirely of independent human rights experts. A delegation of IODA representatives visited Armenia from March 7 to 12 and consulted with a broad range of actors to reach its preliminary assessment, including members of political parties, the clergy, nongovernmental organizations and national authorities responsible for ensuring human rights and election integrity. The justice and interior ministries, the Constitutional Court and the political party associated with the government, Civil Contract, declined to meet with the delegation. The delegation included Kenneth Roth, Philippe Kalfayan, Sarah Leah Whitson and Mark Jones. Key concerns identified by the IODA delegation in its preliminary assessment include: Politically motivated arrests and detentions of political opposition figures, including Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan, Archbishops Bagrat Galstanyan, Mikayel Ajapahyan and Arshak Khachatryan; and Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, in some cases involving the excessive, harsh and disproportionate police force and often prolonged and unnecessary pretrial detention; Efforts to interfere in the independence of the judiciary, including through the Supreme Judicial Council, resulting in the summary dismissal of judges on apparently politically motivated grounds and indications of political bias in the appointment of judges to hear cases involving political opponents; Excessive use of vague penal code provisions that criminalize speech offenses, including allegations of “hooliganism” and “calling for the overthrow of the government,” to prosecute members of parliament, political opposition and the media; and The apparent weaponization of the judiciary and security forces by the government against political opponents. “It is hard for Armenian authorities to insist that the election will be free and fair when the country’s leading opposition leader, Samvel Karapetyan, remains under house arrest on what appear to be baseless charges,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, an IODA executive board member. “The government seems to be weaponizing evidence-free claims of foreign interference to encourage European officials to look the other way as it exercises increasingly authoritarian powers. The government also seems determined to secure another term in power, even at the cost of compromising Armenia’s emerging democracy.” The upcoming elections will take place in a tense political environment following the controversial agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after Armenia’s defeat in the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war. The IODA delegation said European Union, U.S., Turkish and Azerbaijani officials have sought to influence Armenia’s election process by publicly expressing support for Pashinyan. The European Union has committed 12 million euros ($13.8 million) to Armenia, largely to monitor foreign interference in the election. While the government has accused opposition leaders, the religious establishment and political parties of being “pro-Russian,” it has presented no evidence to date of unlawful conduct. “If European Union officials truly want to support Armenia, the best thing they can do is insist that the government respect the rights of Armenian citizens and ensure a truly free and fair election,” said Mark Jones, an IODA executive board member. “Treating Armenia as nothing more than a space for geopolitical competition is a disservice to its people, who have struggled so hard for independence, freedom and democracy. Europe should not stand for sacrificing democracy in the name of geopolitical competition.”