“Hayastan” Alliance warns Armenia’s elections are taking place under fear and repression

(Horizon Media / YEREVAN ) – The opposition-led “Hayastan” alliance warned on May 18 that Armenia’s pre-election environment has descended into an unacceptable level of political tension ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections, arguing that the country has moved beyond the boundaries of normal democratic competition.

In a strongly worded statement, the alliance said the authorities are systematically working to silence political opponents, suppress freedom of expression, intimidate citizens, and deepen internal hostility and fear in order to secure their continued hold on power.

The bloc stated that unconstitutional practices, institutional repression, selective justice, and the open abuse of administrative resources have severely undermined the possibility of free and competitive elections in Armenia.

The statement pointed to politically motivated prosecutions, the judiciary’s dependence on the executive branch, and public punitive instructions issued by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to law enforcement bodies. It also referenced the death of a citizen in a psychiatric institution on May 17, one day after the individual had been isolated by authorities over allegations of damaging a Pashinyan campaign poster.

The alliance further condemned Pashinyan’s May 18 live broadcast remarks targeting major opposition figures and ordinary citizens, describing them as unprecedented threats accompanied by revenge rhetoric, vulgar language, and open intimidation.

The statement also criticized the responses of international organizations and non-regional actors, arguing that double standards and a failure to respond decisively have contributed to a growing atmosphere of impunity in Armenia, eroding public confidence in democratic institutions.

The “Hayastan” alliance called on foreign embassies and international observer missions in Armenia to urgently engage with the situation and provide a clear assessment of what it described as the government’s unconstitutional trajectory ahead of the elections.