Armenian opposition leader rebukes EU officials over rights and security concerns

Armenian opposition MP Hayk Mamijanyan, head of the Pativ Unem faction, has delivered a scathing critique of visiting European Union officials, accusing them of lending legitimacy to what he described as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “pre‑election spectacle.”

Speaking at a protest outside the presidential residence in Yerevan on Tuesday, Mamijanyan welcomed the EU delegation, which included French President Emmanuel Macron, but insisted their presence should not be seen as an endorsement of the government.

“You have arrived in a country where more than 50 political prisoners remain behind bars, where the authorities attack the Armenian Apostolic Church and where over 200 square kilometres of territory are under Azerbaijani occupation,” Mamijanyan declared.

He pointed to the illegal imprisonment of Armenians in Azerbaijan and criticised the government for failing to provide clarity on the number of missing persons.

Mamijanyan accused the authorities of silence in the face of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s threats, delivered via video link, and argued that the government has abdicated responsibility for defending national interests.