Opposition figure says Armenian authorities increasingly rely on 'lies'

A member of the opposition Strong Armenia party has accused the Armenian authorities of increasingly relying on “lies and falsehoods” amid vote-buying allegations.

Speaking outside the Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday, Davit Ghazinyan defended two fellow party member linked to the case, Gohar Ghumashyan and Verzhine Stepanyan, insisting they had committed no wrongdoing. However, he suggested the court was effectively obliged to impose a measure of restraint on them regardless of the evidence.

He further claimed that judicial independence in Armenia remains compromised, pointing to what he described as “justice by phone call”, a term commonly used to suggest external interference in judicial decisions.

Addressing the case of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia party who is currently under house arrest, Ghazinyan said he expects the court to order his release, arguing it has “no other option”.