Lawyer warns criminal law used to intimidate Armenian opposition

With parliamentary elections set for June 7, lawyer and activist Arsen Babayan has accused the government of wielding the criminal law as a tool of political intimidation. Speaking before the launch of a workshop titled “Corruption in the Pre-Election Period” on Friday, Babayan, founder of the AntiCor platform, said criminal prosecutions have become the authorities’ “largest hammer” to silence dissent.

“The Criminal Code has become a heavy club, used to intimidate opposition forces and their supporters,” Babayan told reporters. “Everyone is being wiretapped and those who cooperate with the opposition are constantly shown they risk arrest and detention.”

Babayan said AntiCor has identified 17 troubling practices that undermine electoral integrity, including:

• Vote-buying evolving from cash handouts to concealed mechanisms.
• Material incentives offered for rally participation.
• Misuse of public resources to mobilize voters.
• Exploitation of vulnerable groups for political gain.
• Pressure on public employees, including teachers and healthcare workers.
• Business involvement in campaign financing.
• Suspicious pre-election spending on social and infrastructure projects.
• Fake media and disinformation campaigns.
• Selective law enforcement in investigating electoral crimes.
• Emerging threats from deepfake technology and AI-driven manipulation.

The AntiCor workshop aims to scrutinize corruption risks in electoral processes and foster dialogue among political parties. Members of parties contesting the June 7 vote will be able to deliver speeches of up to 10 minutes, highlighting their perspectives on corruption and electoral integrity.