Politician: The presence of political prisoners in Armenia undermines  the competitive nature of the upcoming elections

ArmInfo. During  a panel discussion on political prisoners in Armenia in Yerevan on January 23,  Suren Surenyants, leader of the Democratic Alternative party, stated that the presence of political prisoners in any country,  especially in the lead-up to electoral processes, undermines the  competitive nature of the upcoming elections. He added that Armenia's  next parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 7, 2026.

The politician recalled that arrests in Armenia began in April-May  2025, when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chose to establish  a totalitarian regime in the country to restore his power in 2026.  "It was from that moment that repression intensified, arrests began,  and a campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) began.  This is a situation that Armenian citizens have no right to tolerate.  It is the duty of each of us to resist it," Surenyants noted.

He noted that election processes in Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and  other countries have long been uninteresting to observe, as it is  obvious that the results of any process there are predetermined. In  this regard, Surenyants pointed out that Armenia is now moving toward  a similar lack of political contestability.  In this regard, he noted  that today, all political forces in Armenia, despite their  ideological differences, must prioritize resolving the issue of  releasing Armenian political prisoners and combating repression. "If  this issue is not resolved, the elections will lose their most  essential aspect-competitiveness," Surenyants concluded. 

Recall, Hayk Mamijanyan, a parliament member from the opposition  "With Honor" faction, previously stated that there are already more  than 50 political prisoners in the country. He claimed that people in  Armenia are being subjected to political persecution for their stance  in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), which is under  attack for criticizing the actions of the ruling regime.