Opposition MP accuses Armenian leadership of weaponizing justice system to sideline critics

Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan has welcomed the acquittal of activists Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan, reiterating that their prosecution was politically motivated.

On May 2, the Yerevan Criminal Court of General Jurisdiction ruled to acquit Samsonyan and Saghatelyan, co-hosts of the Imnemnimi podcast, who had faced charges stemming from their harsh public criticism of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a podcast episode aired nearly a year ago.

The two opposition activists were arrested and held in pre-trial detention for two months and subsequently placed under administrative supervision.

"The court has issued a not-guilty verdict for Narek and Vazgen. From the very beginning, it was clear to many that the charges against them were baseless," Abrahamyan wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

The Pativ Unem faction MP went on to criticize the authorities for what he described as a pattern of punitive legal action designed to sideline political opponents. " Acquittal is one thing, but who will be held accountable for the months they spent behind bars, the restrictions on their movement and the distress inflicted on them and their families through a prolonged and unpleasant judicial process?" he added.

Abrahamyan stated that the authorities often initiate politically motivated criminal cases, knowing they will ultimately collapse in court.

"Their goal is to punish people through detention and entangle them in legal battles to prevent political engagement. It's a tactic aimed at suppressing dissent,” the MP stressed.

Several prominent international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, also condemned the criminal case as politically motivated.