Khachik Galstyan's house arrest linked to June elections, lawyer claims

Armenian lawyer Arsen Babayan on Thursday condemned the continued house arrest of Homeland Party Secretary-General Khachik Galstyan, asserting that the measure is politically motivated ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections.

“There are absolutely no legal grounds for keeping Khachik Galstyan under house arrest," he told reporters outside the Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday. "Even if such grounds existed, they could have been mitigated with bail of 20 million drams.”

The lawyer stated that the authorities are orchestrating a campaign to marginalize political and civic activists ahead of the June 7 vote. “The government is intent on silencing opposition voices and deterring citizens with dissenting views from participating in the electoral process — whether through campaigning or by leveraging their public credibility,” Babayan declared.

According to him, the restrictions are designed to intimidate figures whose influence resonates with segments of the electorate, thereby discouraging them from lending support to the opposition. He added that the authorities sought to keep both Galstyan and co-defendant Aram Kocharyan confined, though the final decision rests with the court.

“The real question is whether the court ruling will be impartial,” Babayan said, noting that clarity would emerge in the upcoming hearings.