Armenian court replaces opposition podcaster's house arrest with administrative supervision

An Armenian court on Tuesday replaced the house arrest of opposition podcaster Narek Samsonyan with administrative supervision, imposing a ban on his public speech, his lawyer said.

The Court of First Instance, presided over by judge M. Shahverdyan, granted a motion filed by the defense, according to attorney Ruben Melikyan. Samsonyan, who co-hosts the Imnemnimi podcast, had previously been under strict house arrest following earlier detention.

Samsonyan and fellow podcast co-host Vazgen Saghatelyan were initially detained on Nov. 13, 2025 on hooliganism charges. On Jan. 9, 2026, a court extended their detention by three months.

Following that ruling, Samsonyan announced an indefinite hunger strike, demanding an end to the unfair trial. After 15 days, he was transferred to a medical center for treatment and underwent surgery. On Feb. 19, an appellate court commuted his pre-trial detention to house arrest with strict limitations.

The criminal proceedings against Samsonyan and Saghatelyan were launched based on a complaint filed by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan.