Opposition warns pretrial detention used as political punishment in Armenia

A member of the opposition Strong Armenia party has accused the Armenian authorities of using pretrial detention as a political tool, arguing that criminal prosecutions are being employed to silence opponents and that the country has failed to uphold its international human rights obligations.

Arega Hovsepyan, a member of the party, made the remarks following the detention of Aregnaz Manukyan, a board member of the opposition Mother Armenia party. Hovsepyan described Manukyan as a "political prisoner" and said Armenia once criticized neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan for political persecution and selective justice but is now exhibiting similar practices.

"Pretrial detention has been transformed into a form of punishment before a verdict is reached," she wrote on Facebook on Friday. "Freedom is being restricted not by the requirements of justice, but by political expediency, more specifically, by the whim of a single man."

Hovsepyan said Armenia is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, all of which guarantee the rights to liberty, a fair trial, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and equal protection under the law.

She argued that those treaties also require states to prevent arbitrary detention, abuse of criminal prosecution and discrimination based on political beliefs or participation in public life, adding that such violations are occurring in Armenia "on a daily basis."

Hovsepyan also cited guidance from the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, saying states are obligated to protect women from politically motivated pressure, ensure equal access to justice and prevent discrimination in the application of criminal law.

She accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government of using criminal proceedings to pressure political opponents and said the issue extends beyond domestic politics to Armenia's compliance with its international human rights commitments.

Hovsepyan called for the release of all political prisoners in Armenia.