Armenian political analyst condemns arrests of opposition activists

Armenian political analyst Suren Surenyants has sharply criticized early-morning raids and arrests targeting co-hosts of an opposition podcast, describing the actions as a fresh display of government pressure on critical media.

Security officers conducted searches at the homes of opposition activists Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan, later detaining both men based on a complaint filed by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, who accused them of hooliganism. Police also raided the headquarters of AntiFake media outlet, where the two work. 

In a social media post, Surenyants said the use of masked officers, the speed of the operations and their public nature made the events appear “less like a legal procedure and more like a political campaign organized by the authorities.”

He highkighted that Alen Simonyan had publicly insulted the podcasters earlier. Surenyants argued that while senior officials face no consequences for such behavior, government critics are now subjected to “demonstrative criminal prosecution".

“This is a classic example of selective justice,” he said, accusing the authorities of turning legal mechanisms into tools of political will.

Surenyants suggested that the arrests were motivated by the growing influence of investigative content produced by AntiFake and the Imnennimi podcast, both known for their critical reporting. He warned that the government appears intent on silencing uncomfortable voices ahead of upcoming elections “not through public debate, but through force” as part of an effort to tighten control over the information space.

Referring to Simonyan, Surenyants added that it was “particularly cynical” for an official previously filmed spitting at a critic and facing no accountability to now accuse others of hooliganism.