YEREVAN (Realist English). Two weeks before the parliamentary elections on June 7, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has resorted to open suppression of dissent and public humiliation of opponents.
The opposition reports repression, selective justice and attempts by the authorities to intimidate citizens who lost their homes in occupied Artsakh.
Detention of activist and disappearance of social media page
Between May 17 and 18, incidents occurred in Yerevan that the opposition regards as a demonstrative act of intimidation. Publicist and government critic Arthur Osipyan was detained by police after accusing Pashinyan of corruption on the territory of the Republic of Artsakh. He has been charged with hooliganism.
However, according to Osipyan’s lawyer, the conflict began when Pashinyan personally insulted the opposition figure, after which the prime minister’s supporters used physical force against him. The arriving police, instead of detaining the attackers, merely tried to separate those involved in the altercation.
Immediately after the incident, Osipyan’s social media page, where he actively criticized the government, disappeared from public access.
Armine Sogoyan, a clinic employee who dared to ask Pashinyan about the fate of those killed in the Karabakh wars, was allegedly offered to resign on orders “from above” following the incident.
Insults against refugees and threats of violence
On May 18, during a campaign trip to Yerevan’s Arabkir district, Pashinyan engaged in an altercation with a woman who accused him of being responsible for the loss of Karabakh and the destruction of an entire young generation.
“You stole my homeland. You destroyed an entire young generation of the nation. You took my children, my brother,” the voter said.
In response, according to eyewitnesses, Pashinyan resorted to personal attacks, calling Karabakh refugees “fugitives.”
“They fled the war at Ferrari speed… You cowardly thugs who ran from the battlefield. Take off your masks — I will bring you all to their knees,” the Armenian opposition press quoted the prime minister as saying.
Particular outrage was caused by a threat directed at the woman: “You’ve had your say? Now listen, listen to the answer. First of all, thank your lucky stars that they didn’t smash your head in at the nearest toilet.”
The opposition “Armenia” bloc has already appealed to the ambassadors of foreign states, demanding an assessment of what is happening.
“The authorities’ actions go beyond political struggle. This is an attempt to silence opponents and intensify the atmosphere of fear,” the bloc stated.
Geopolitical maneuvering and failure of allied relations
Amid the domestic crisis, Pashinyan continues to pursue a dual foreign policy line. On the one hand, he declares that he has no intention of clashing with Russia and even boasts about the frequency of his phone conversations with Vladimir Putin.
On the other hand, the Armenian authorities publicly accuse Moscow of failing to fulfill its allied obligations, while portraying the opposition as “agents of the Kremlin.”
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan confirms that Yerevan continues a “thin diplomatic line,” but at the same time openly states that it cannot place its interests below those of Russia. In effect, official Yerevan admits that it regards Moscow merely as one player, not as an unconditional security guarantor.
Elite divisions and protest potential
The leader of the “Strong Armenia” bloc, Samvel Karapetyan, remains under house arrest and cannot personally participate in the campaign. The opposition fears that administrative pressure and control over resources will not allow it to win on June 7, even if it manages to agree on a joint list.
Meanwhile, Pashinyan himself has called the sons of former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan “degenerates,” definitively abandoning any attempt at dialogue.
What’s next
The elections are scheduled for June 7. Western observers have not yet officially reacted to what is happening. The opposition fears that new arrests and provocations may follow on election day. The situation in Armenia remains explosive: the authorities, sensing the fragility of their position, have resorted to the language of threats and repression.