HayaKve member says Chalabyan's arrest aims to cripple opposition group

The arrest of opposition activist Avetik Chalabyan early on Wednesday is part of a politically motivated effort to weaken and dismantle the HayaKve initiative, its member Davit Sargsyan claims.

Speaking to reporters outside the Yerevan Court of First Instance, Sargsyan said Chalabyan had anticipated the possibility of such action amid escalating pressure on opposition forces following the June 7 parliamentary elections.

“It would be wrong to say that Avetik Chalabyan did not expect this scenario,” Sargsyan said. “In the weeks since the elections, it became increasingly clear that the authorities, having secured their political survival by every means available, would seek to neutralize the opposition’s most influential structures.”

Sargsyan argued that Chalabyan’s arrest fits a broader pattern of measures targeting opposition leaders and organizations. He pointed to cases involving opposition politician Andranik Tevanyan, former education minister Armen Ashotyan, the Prosperous Armenia Party, the Hayastan (Armenia) alliance and the Strong Armenia alliance.

“Now it is HayaKve’s turn,” he said.

Sargsyan noted that this is the second time Chalabyan has faced politically motivated charges. He recalled that Chalabyan was detained for three months during the 2022 Resistance Movement protests on baseless allegations.

“Both cases revolve around allegations of improperly influencing voters or interfering with the free expression of citizens’ political will,” Sargsyan said. “Our assessment is unequivocal: this is political persecution and an attempt to cripple HayaKve as an institutional force.”

He said HayaKve deployed approximately 220 accredited representatives during the election campaign to monitor the vote and document potential irregularities.

According to Sargsyan, the timing of the arrest is particularly significant because Armenia’s Constitutional Court is scheduled to consider opposition challenges to the election results on Thursday. He said HayaKve, which participated in election monitoring and has the capacity to organize public demonstrations, had planned activities related to the proceedings.

“Taken together, these developments suggest an effort to sideline one of the opposition’s most organized and effective movements by isolating its coordinator,” Sargsyan said.

Chalabyan has said that he remains in good spirits and urged supporters to continue their work.

“He is holding up well. This is not the first time he has faced such  circumstances,” Sargsyan added.