Armenian opposition activist claims sister's dismissal was politically motivated

Opposition activist Edgar Ghazaryan, a parliamentary candidate of the Strong Armenia alliance, has alleged that his sister’s removal from a senior post at the Ministry of Health’s Center for Drug and Medical Technology Expertise was an act of political reprisal.

In a statement issued on June 8, the day after Armenia’s parliamentary elections, Ghazaryan said that his sister, Lilit Ghazaryan, was ordered to resign but refused, leading to her “unlawful dismissal.” The directive, he claimed, came under ministerial instruction and was carried out by Arayik Baghranyan, the center’s director and former Artsakh health minister.

Lilit Ghazaryan, a pharmaceutical sciences candidate and longtime World Health Organization expert, has worked at the center for more than 30 years, serving as deputy director for the past 22. Her brother insisted that “the only reason for her dismissal is that she is my sister,” emphasizing that she had refrained from political activity or public statements.

Edgar Ghazaryan denounced the move as part of “ongoing political repression” against his family and warned that those responsible would eventually face accountability.