Strong Armenia party member calls arrests 'politically motivated' ahead of elections

Davit Ghazinyan, a member of the opposition Strong Armenia party, on Thursday described the detention of party members and supporters in the town of Artashat as “another staged action”, alleging political repression ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

Speaking to reporters outside the Anti-Corruption Committee, Ghazinyan said he had no official information regarding the legal grounds for the detentions.

“A week government will naturally resort to such measures,” he said. “I believe the illusion that the current leadership enjoys public trust has burst.”

Citing some reports, Ghazinyan also claimed that party members in various regions were informally summoned to state and law enforcement agencies, where they were questioned and pressured — actions he characterized as repressive.

The Strong Armenia party led by businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan plans to run in the June parliamentary elections.