'One death a week': MP sounds alarm over rise in violent crimes in Armenia

At a parliament session on Thursday, MP Elinar Vardanyan of the opposition Hayastan faction criticized the government’s claims of “effectiveness”, arguing that its impact is felt most starkly through the headlines of daily news reports. Vardanyan cited over a dozen incidents of shootings and stabbings reported this year to underscore a surge in violent crimes.

She criticized the government's focus on overall crime statistics, which show a 1.1% decrease, or 404 fewer cases, compared to the previous year. However, Vardanyan pointed out that the number of particularly serious crimes had increased by 25.1%.

“The data reveals that Armenia recorded an average of one fatality per week last year, which is a staggering figure,” the MP said.

She also called attention to the low crime detection rate, which she claimed stands at just 22.1%. Referring to a recent incident in Vanadzor, where a police officer used force to coerce an Artsakh refugee into confessing to a crime, Vardanyan questioned the integrity of law enforcement. “If that’s how crimes are being solved, it would be better not to solve them at all,” she remarked.

Vardanyan further criticized the police for failing to respond to hate speech and calls for violence against Artsakh refugees. At the same time, she accused the authorities of prosecuting those making even minor critical remarks about government officials.