Armenian MP says authorities using house arrest to curb political dissent

An Armenian opposition lawmaker has accused the authorities of increasingly using house arrest as a pretrial measure to sideline political opponents while avoiding public backlash associated with detentions.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the Pativ Unem faction, said the government’s tactic in opting for house arrest instead of detention had a “simple objective” — to reduce public outcry and limit detainees’ ability to communicate.

“Choosing house arrest as a preventive measure has a clear purpose: to move away from noise and headaches and to maximally deprive a person of communication opportunities,” Abrahamyan wrote.

He argued that while opposition groups and civic initiatives have established tools to respond to politically motivated imprisonment, the situation is more challenging when individuals are placed under house arrest.

According to Abrahamyan, several public figures and clergy members are currently under house arrest with significant restrictions. He listed Archbishops Mikayel and Mkrtich, as well as Davit Hambardzumyan, Samvel Karapetyan and Artur Sargsyan among those affected.

“These individuals are not in prison at the moment, but they are under a house arrest regime with considerable limitations,” he said.

Abrahamyan stated that the authorities were maneuvering to avoid criticism both domestically and internationally, calling for an appropriate response to the situation.