Opposition MP says police raid ARF office before vote

Armenian opposition lawmaker Ishkhan Saghatelyan said on Thursday that police were raiding the Gyumri office of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the homes of party members, just two days before parliamentary elections.

Saghatelyan, the ARF Armenia leader and a Hayastan faction MP, accused the government of trying to disrupt opposition activities ahead of Sunday’s vote.

“The actions, especially in recent days, are illegal attempts to obstruct the normal work of opposition headquarters,” he wrote on Facebook, calling them “desperate efforts” aimed at influencing voters and election results.

He urged party members to carry on with their work undeterred and called on citizens to resist intimidation, saying the most effective response was to turn out at the polls and reject a regime unwilling to respect the people’s will.