Opposition MP: Over 60 people facing political persecution in Armenia

More than 60 people in Armenia are currently facing politically motivated prosecution, opposition MP Elinar Vardanyan said at a parliamentary committee meeting ahead of hearings on political prisoners on Friday.

Vardanyan, a member of the opposition Hayastan faction and the main rapporteur for the upcoming hearings, said Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan had been invited to the hearings, but she did not expect her to attend or provide clarifications.

“She has appeared in parliament once, when she submitted a request to strip an MP of immunity and impose a measure of restraint on him, presenting distorted information,” Vardanyan said. “I do not believe she will attend the upcoming hearings to correct the inaccuracies she presented.”

The hearings, scheduled for November 26 and titled “On Political Prisoners in the Republic of Armenia and the Restoration of Their Violated Rights”, will also involve invitations to international organizations. Vardanyan criticized what she described as their “strangely inert” response to assaults on democracy in Armenia.

“More than 60 individuals are facing political persecution and nearly 40 of them are currently in detention or under house arrest,” she stated.