Analyst says searches of Strong Armenia offices linked to rally turnout

Large-scale searches carried out at the offices of the opposition Strong Armenia party are politically motivated and appear linked to the strong turnout at Wednesday's rally, political analyst Armen Baghdasaryan claims.

Speaking to Panorama.am on Thursday, Baghdasaryan dismissed suggestions that the searches were part of a legal process, arguing instead that the authorities were responding to the opposition’s growing momentum ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary elections.

The searches came a day after Strong Armenia held a rally in Yerevan that attracted around 80,000 people.

“I believe the searches are connected to yesterday’s large turnout, which seriously alarmed the authorities,” Baghdasaryan said.

He alleged that the government could be preparing legal grounds to bar Strong Armenia from participating in the election, drawing parallels with developments in Moldova, where a major political force was excluded from the electoral process shortly before voting.

“There has been much talk about a ‘Moldovan scenario’ during the election campaign,” Baghdasaryan noted. “In Moldova, one of the leading political forces was disqualified just before the vote. The authorities in Armenia could attempt something similar."

Baghdasaryan said the ruling party's concerns had become increasingly evident as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan intensified his direct engagement with voters.

“It became clear even to them that the situation was not as favorable as they had imagined,” he said. “That is why the authorities have been preparing alternative scenarios.”

The analyst also accused the government of selectively applying the law against political opponents.

“In a state governed by the rule of law, everyone must be equal before the law,” Baghdasaryan said. “Yet what we see instead is the law wielded against the opposition, while those in power are granted far greater freedom.”