Human rights lawyer cautions Armenia's opposition over 'no-rules' election fight

Human rights lawyer Vahan Hovhannisyan has issued a stark warning to opposition forces planning to run in Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections, questioning how they intend to compete “by the rules” when the authorities are preparing for a “no-rules fight”.

“If you play by their rules, you’ll end up in prison; if you refuse to, you’ll lose,” Hovhannisyan wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

He urged opposition groups to “think seriously” about their strategy, adding that appealing to embassies or holding press conferences would not compel the government to play fair. “The people deserve better,” he added.