Armenian opposition MP accuses authorities of intimidation, calls for public mobilization

Armenian opposition MP Garnik Danielyan has accused the government of operating a “one-man authoritarian regime” and using law enforcement bodies to silence political opponents. Speaking to reporters at a protest outside the Prosecutor General’s Office on Thursday, Danielyan claimed that Armenia’s law-enforcement system and judiciary are tightly controlled by the authorities, leaving only a “very small number” of officers capable of acting independently.

He urged citizens who “complain in their homes and kitchens” to join street protests, arguing that sustained civic pressure is the only effective way to influence government decisions.

Danielyan condemned politically motivated and fabricated criminal cases against oppositionists. He argued that while government critics are targeted and intimidated, pro-government actors freely engage in violent rhetoric without consequences, making statements such as “those people must be shot”, “cut their tongues”, “cut their ears” and “cut their throats”. He accused the authorities of fueling internal division, including hostility toward displaced Artsakh Armenians.

According to Danielyan, while government allies freely use insults and threats, those who respond are swiftly “detained by masked National Security Service officers.” He argued that since 2018 a new political culture rooted in verbal abuse has taken hold in Armenia.