Since early morning, the proxies of the “Unity Wings” and the hotline have been receiving numerous calls regarding election violations.
One of our voters, a 78-year-old woman from Stepanavan raised an alarm that the machine did not recognize her passport at the 25/10 polling station. He was offered to present himself with an ID card, but since the ID card is in Yerevan, he could not participate in the voting.
The woman was also offered to apply to the passport department of the Police, but the 78-year-old citizen could not take advantage of that opportunity, because the passport department was moved from Stepanavan to the city of Tashir, which created additional difficulties for her.
There are many problems related to routing, accumulation and device.
RA citizens received calls and messages from foreign phone numbers and e-mail addresses, in which false information was spread, as if bombs were planted in some polling stations.
As a result of the measures taken by the law enforcement agencies, it was found that the alarms did not correspond to reality.
Such actions can be considered as attempts of hybrid influence and informational-psychological pressure, the aim of which is to disrupt the normal electoral process, to spread anxiety and mistrust in society, as well as to burden the work of state institutions.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs police and the law enforcement system are in full control of the situation. We urge the citizens not to give in to misinformation, not to spread unverified information and immediately inform the law enforcement agencies upon receiving such messages.
Ahead of a national election on Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been talking about joining the E.U. and boasting of an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
By Mary Ilyushina
In a Great Game-style tug of war between Russia and the West for influence in the strategic South Caucasus, tiny Armenia is reaching toward the European Union and the United States, drawing punishing economic penalties from Moscow and even an oblique threat from President Vladimir Putin that the country could face the same terrible fate as Ukraine.
Ahead of a national election on Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been talking up his hope of joining the E.U. and he has expressed gratitude for President Donald Trump’s “COMPLETE and TOTAL endorsement.”
Trump has also boasted of his efforts to broker peace between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan, and has literally put his name on the region, with a plan for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity — a joint venture that would transform a derelict stretch of Soviet-era railway into a 26-mile trade link.
But for Putin, who has been losing sway over the broader region since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, an even greater offense was Pashinyan’s appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an event in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, last month, where they shook hands and exchanged remarks in English rather than Russian.
At the event, a gathering of the European Political Community, Zelensky told the leaders of more than 50 nations that this summer is “the moment when Putin has to decide what to do next: expand his war or follow a diplomatic path” and threatened more Ukrainian drones hitting Russian cities.
“Two mindless Russophobes who speak excellent Russian spoke in poor English due to their inferiority complexes,” former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted on social media.
French President Emmanuel Macron also used the Yerevan event to accuse Russia of treachery for not coming to Armenia’s aid during its war with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. “Russia was not there for Armenia — no more than it was for Venezuela, Syria or Iran,” Macron said.
Moscow, which still maintains a large military base on Armenian soil, has responded to Yerevan’s westward drift with mounting pressure. Just days before the election, Russia reached for a familiar tool of coercion, banning imports of Armenian flowers, fruit, vegetables, alcohol and mineral water.
Putin has insisted that Armenia cannot simultaneously belong to the Eurasian Economic Union — a trade bloc with Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan — and the European Union, and he has warned ominously about the consequences, including a potential loss of 14 percent of GDP without Russian investment.
At a recent summit of the Eurasian Economic Union in Kazakhstan, which Pashinyan skipped, Putin said: “The crisis in Ukraine began with attempts to join the E.U.” The Russian leader asked Armenia to hold a referendum on E.U. membership as soon as possible.
Analysts said the remarkwas designed to stoke divisions in Armenia and boost the chances of pro-Russian candidates ahead of Sunday’s vote.
While Trump and Putin each seem to envision a return to a world in which great powers divide up spheres of influence, Trump has shown little deference to Russia’s historic role in the South Caucasus.
Pashinyan, for his part, seems less interested in taking sides than in diversifying alliances, reducing Armenia’s economic and security dependence on Russia, and ending its enmity with Azerbaijan and Turkey after more than 30 years of war over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia’s pivot is part of the broader realignment rippling through the region since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which drained Moscow’s resources and sent many former satellite states adrift and in search of new friends. Many recent elections in the post-Soviet space have been defined by fears of suffering Ukraine’s fate.
The rapport Yerevan has built with Washington is also an extension of Trump’s unorthodox geopolitical ways. Armenia’s rapprochement with the United States began under President Joe Biden’s administration, and it was far from clear that Trump would take a similar interest in a remote and complicated region.
But Armenia, which Trump once mistakenly called Albania when praising his success in reconciling it with Azerbaijan (which he called “Aber-baijan”) — became yet another entry on the list of wars the president claims to have settled.
In fact, Azerbaijan won the war by force, with a lightning offensive in September 2023, retaking territory that was long recognized internationally as belonging to Azerbaijan but that was populated largely by ethnic Armenians and occupied by Armenia since the early 1990s.
For Trump, the stars largely aligned in allowing him to help forge the postwar relationship between the historical enemies.
“President Trump said that he’s really very interested in supporting peacemaking in the world, and Armenia was actually the most ready country at that time to go with a peace agenda,” said Narek Mkrtchyan, Armenia’s ambassador to the United States.
At the core of Trump’s plan is the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), the proposed trade that will run through Armenia, connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave and to Turkey while bypassing Russia and Iran.
In late May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Armenian counterparts signed three deals during a brief airport visit, including a framework agreement on TRIPP.
To win Trump’s attention, Armenia also positioned itself as a country rich in critical minerals that is willing to give the U.S. a share of its resources. It has also tapped into the artificial intelligence rush by striking a deal to build an AI supercomputing facility — which, if successful, would be the first large-scale AI data center in the South Caucasus.
Pashinyan has been recalibrating Armenian foreign and domestic policy around what he calls “Real Armenia” — an ideology that envisions moving on from the painful losses in Nagorno-Karabakh and parts of eastern Turkey where large numbers of Armenians once lived.
“By this, he means the idea that Armenians should concern themselves primarily with events inside Armenia’s recognized national borders, rather than the wider ‘historical Armenia,’” said Joshua Kucera, an expert on the region at International Crisis Group, the Brussels-based policy institute.
Pashinyan and his allies look set to win on Sunday.
Polls show his Civil Contract party with a commanding lead and on track to secure a parliamentary majority, but how much leverage he gains to advance his agenda, especially normalizing relations with Azerbaijan, will depend on the precise outcome.
As a condition for signing a final peace deal, Azerbaijan has demanded that Armenia amend its constitution and remove language that could be interpreted as laying claim to Nagorno-Karabakh and parts of Azerbaijani territory.
To push that through, Pashinyan will need a two-thirds majority to trigger a referendum. Without that legislative muscle, the peace process could stall.
The U.S. plan to set up a railroad in what Moscow considers its own backyard has set off angry grumbling in the Kremlin.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, who is responsible for Eurasian integration, warned that “the arrival of outsiders in the South Caucasus region will disrupt the established security balance.”
The TRIPP project has also faced backlash from pro-Russian political forces inside Armenia.
Former president Robert Kocharyan, who is backed by Russia and has made opposing Pashinyan’s Western tilt his central political mission, recently accused the prime minister of abandoning the country’s traditional alliances and accommodating longtime adversaries instead.
Kocharyan dismissed TRIPP as a PR project “blown up to a planetary scale” and criticized it for stoking tensions with Iran and Russia.
TRIPP promises Armenia a role as a regional transit hub, but the economics only work if Turkey agrees to reopen its land border, which Turkey has said will depend on the final Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal that has yet to be signed.
In the meantime, Turkey and Azerbaijan are building their own railway bypassing Armenia, which could weaken Yerevan’s leverage.
Complicating things further, Russia has operated Armenia’s entire rail network under a 30-year concession since 2008, meaning the very track TRIPP requires is controlled by Russian Railways.
A clean break with Russia would be difficult, if not impossible, for Pashinyan. Hemmed in by closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, which have long constrained its development, Armenia has relied on Russia as the destination for more than one-third of its exports.
Pashinyan recently has taken strides to signal he is willing to maintain flexible relations with Russia. But with few strategic options left after losing Nagorno-Karabakh, he appears to have concluded that his country’s best prospects lie with the West.
E.U. accession, he has argued, would benefit the country regardless of the outcome — aligning with European standards would modernize institutions and open up new markets.
“Our foreign policy doctrine is about balance,” Mkrtchyan, the ambassador, said. “Armenia is a landlocked country with nearly 80 percent of its borders closed — we have always needed this kind of diversification.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks mandate to move closer to EU as pro-Russian rivals cite Nagorno-Karabakh defeat; Moscow signals pressure with import bans and Ukraine warnings
Armenians voted Sunday in an election that could determine whether the small former Soviet republic moves closer to the European Union and the West or returns more firmly to Russia’s sphere of influence.
Armenia’s parliamentary election a vote on nation’s ‘geopolitical future’
Asia / Pacific
Issued on: 07/06/2026 – 17:34
Armenians voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election seen as a test of the government’s efforts to forge a peace deal following a crushing military defeat by Azerbaijan three years ago. “This is really a vote on the geopolitical future of Armenia and its ties with Russia,” FRANCE 24’s Philip Turle said in an analysis. He pointed to Armenia’s shift away from Russia, a trend that dates back to its defeat by Azerbaijan and was accelerated by the war in Ukraine, which has diverted Russia’s attention elsewhere.
Salome Zourabichvili, the fifth president of Georgia, commented on the parliamentary elections currently taking place in Armenia.
She emphasized that Armenia shares the same struggle for a European future as Georgia.
“Armenia, your fight is our fight, these elections will determine your democratic European future. We stand with you!” the politician wrote on X.
As of 5:00 PM local time on June 7, the turnout in Armenia’s parliamentary elections reached 1.2 million voters (48.92% of eligible citizens).
“As of 17:00, 1,224,957 voters, or 48.92% of citizens eligible to vote, have cast their ballots,” reported the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia.
Armenia’s agricultural products will be exported to the EU without customs duties. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at a briefing after voting in the parliamentary elections, ArmenPress reports.
This was preceded by a telephone conversation with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on June 4, during which support measures were discussed.
It is reported that the first batch of Armenian flowers has already been sent to Latvia on the eve of this statement — on June 6.
Thus, the duty—free regime is part of Armenia’s broader strategy to reorient part of its exports from the Russian to the European market, supported financially both by the EU and by the country’s own budget.
More details: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2026/06/07/armenias-agricultural-products-will-be-exported-to-the-eu-without-customs-duties-pashinyan
Armenia Closes Polls as Vote Count Begins, Turnout Nears Record High Amid Moscow’s Legitimacy Challenge
Ballot counting underway after nearly half of Armenia’s 2.5 million voters cast ballots, with Moscow preemptively questioning the result’s legitimacy.
YEREVAN — The last polling stations in Armenia shuttered at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, handing ballot-counters a question that Kremlin officials had already decided to answer before the first tally was announced: was any of it legitimate?
Nearly half of Armenia’s electorate turned out — the Central Electoral Commission reported 1,224,957 ballots cast out of 2,503,976 eligible voters, or 48.92 percent, by 5:00 p.m., three hours before polls closed. Final turnout figures were due at 9:00 p.m. local time. By almost any measure, that pace demolished the 38.52 percent recorded at the same hour in the 2021 snap elections, suggesting that an unusually large share of Armenians found the stakes of this vote — alignment with Europe or a return to Moscow’s orbit — compelling enough to act on.
The CEC said counting began immediately after the 2,005 polling stations closed, with results expected to trickle in through the night. A total of 18 political forces — two blocs and 16 parties — contested seats in the 101-member National Assembly. The threshold to enter parliament stands at 4 percent for individual parties; blocs of three or more must clear 8 percent. Pre-election surveys put Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party at roughly 30 to 37 percent, with the opposition collectively polling around 49 percent — led by billionaire Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia bloc at roughly 26 percent, the Armenia bloc at 12 percent, Prosperous Armenia at 6 percent, and Wings of Unity at 5 percent.
That math, if it holds in the count, would not necessarily produce a coherent opposition government. Four-percent thresholds, proportional seat bonuses, and fractured coalition arithmetic mean Pashinyan’s party could retain governing capacity even without a majority of raw votes. What it would not retain is the appearance of a mandate.
Turnout was highest in Syunik Province, in Armenia’s south near the Iranian and Azerbaijani borders, where 55.36 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots by 5:00 p.m. In the capital Yerevan — home to 849,488 eligible voters — 412,168 had voted by the same hour, a rate of 48.52 percent. The lowest participation came from Armavir Province, at 44.80 percent.
Russia had already positioned itself to contest whatever outcome emerged. Dmitry Medvedev, the Security Council’s deputy chairman, said in remarks reported by RIA Novosti that elections in which Pashinyan worked to remove competitors could not be regarded as legitimate. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that what was unfolding in Yerevan was not an election campaign conducted in accordance with law, but a fight against democratic procedures. Both statements arrived before polling stations closed — before a single vote was counted.
The backdrop to those comments is not subtle. In the weeks before the vote, Moscow had banned imports of Armenian mineral water, vegetables, and brandy, and threatened to end preferential pricing on natural gas. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in April that Moscow would like to see pro-Russian parties able to participate freely, while calling the final decision Yerevan’s. Armenian officials described those statements as interference. Pashinyan, after casting his own ballot, told reporters that any schemes inconsistent with Armenian law would be assessed by Armenian institutions.
Armenians vote in the parliamentary election on June 7, 2026. [Image Source: EVN Report]
International observer presence was sharply higher than in prior cycles. The CEC confirmed accreditation for 71 domestic outlets and approximately 180 foreign journalists — compared to just 49 international correspondents at the 2021 vote, EVN Report noted. Thirteen domestic and eight international observer missions were on the ground. The surge reflected unprecedented international attention to allegations of foreign interference.
Earlier in the day, CEC chair Vahagn Hovakimyan confirmed that three election commission officials — two precinct chairs and a secretary — failed to report for duty because they had been arrested as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Strong Armenia representative Gohar Meloyan alleged at a separate press conference that the party had documented hundreds of procedural violations, including what she described as defective and intentionally defaced ballot papers on the Strong Armenia N3 ballot, which she said could be used to invalidate votes during the count. Police had also raided Strong Armenia’s office in Gyumri during voting hours, arresting three people while lawyers were turned away from the premises.
The election was the first regularly scheduled parliamentary vote Armenia has held since 2017. The two intervening cycles — 2018 and 2021 — were both snap elections triggered by political crises: the first following the Velvet Revolution that brought Pashinyan to power, the second in the wake of the 2020 war with Azerbaijan and the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. The question voters were being asked to render on Sunday — whether to continue the government that navigated that loss, or to replace it with forces whose relationship with Moscow is more comfortable — had been framed in the campaign as a choice between a lasting peace deal with Azerbaijan or a return to conflict.
What the ballot papers actually said about that framing, the count was only beginning to answer.
Polling stations across Armenia opened at 08:00 local time and will close at 20:00.
Given the unprecedented political tensions and deep social polarization that preceded the vote, as well as the extensive election campaigns conducted by the 18 political forces competing in the elections, voter turnout is expected to be high.
At the same time, opinion polls conducted during the final stage of the campaign suggested a high level of public disillusionment with the political class:
40% of respondents said they did not trust any politician;
23% remained undecided.
As a result, many analysts have described the election outcome as highly unpredictable.
As of June 6, the day before voting, the total number of registered voters stood at 2.503.976.
Armenia’s Interior Ministry said it would deploy 5,239 police officers to polling stations across the country to maintain public order.
Voters can find their designated polling station through a register available on the website of the Central Electoral Commission.
These elections have stood out from previous campaigns because of the scale of alleged vote-buying by some political forces. Authorities linked this to attempts by a foreign state to influence the outcome of the elections.
Law enforcement agencies have closely monitored the situation throughout the campaign. Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee regularly reported cases of alleged vote-buying and other election-related violations.
According to the committee’s latest statement, released on the official day of election silence:
103 criminal cases have been launched;
194 people have been detained;
criminal proceedings have been initiated against 209 individuals;
10 people have been placed on a wanted list;
84 individuals have been subjected to arrest or house arrest;
alternative preventive measures have been applied to 85 individuals;
12 criminal cases involving 45 defendants have been referred to court with indictments;
300 people have been questioned.
Before the elections, the Central Electoral Commission reminded everyone involved in the electoral process that election campaigning is prohibited on election day.
The voting process will be monitored by 13 local and 8 international observation missions, as well as representatives from 71 media outlets.
JAMnews is following developments throughout the day and will provide live updates on the most important election-related news as events unfold.
Who is running in election?
These are the parties and alliances contesting the election, along with the candidates heading their electoral lists:
Civil Contract (Nikol Pashinyan)
Strong Armenia (Narek Karapetyan)
Prosperous Armenia (Gagik Tsarukyan)
Wings of Unity (Arman Tatoyan)
Armenia Alliance (Robert Kocharyan)
New Force (Hayk Marutyan)
Republic Party (Aram Sargsyan)
For the Republic – Defenders of Democracy (Arman Babajanyan)
Bright Armenia (Edmon Marukyan)
Armenian National Congress (Levon Zurabyan)
Democracy. Law. Discipline (Levon Baghdasaryan)
Meritocratic Party of Armenia (Gurgen Simonyan)
Democratic Consolidation (Suren Petrosyan)
Christian Democratic Party (Levon Shirinyan)
Kochari National Revival and National Awakening Party (Artak Sargsyan)
National Democratic Pole Pan-Armenian Party (Gevorg Karapetyan)
Against All (Spartak Kyureghyan)
Reformists Party (Vagharshak Harutyunyan).
07 Jun 20:02
Voting ends, vote counting begins
Voting in Armenia’s parliamentary election ended at 20:00.
All 2,005 polling stations across the country have now closed, including the nine polling stations that operated in correctional facilities.
The vote-counting process is now under way.
07 Jun 19:50
Power outages reported at several polling stations
Electricity outages were reported at polling stations 17/37, 18/6, 18/14, 18/32, 18/54, 18/79 and 11/8, according to Radio Azatutyun (RFE/RL). All of the affected polling stations are located in Aragatsotn Province.
Notably, several hours before reports of the outages emerged, Daniel Ioannisyan, a representative of the Independent Observer mission, said the organisation had received warnings about possible power cuts later in the day.
“In the event of power outages, we have a clear plan of action. First of all, this is not 1996, when everyone had to sit in the dark with candles after the electricity went out. Everyone has a mobile phone with a flashlight, and the cameras will continue operating as well. The cameras are connected to UPS systems and will continue recording and broadcasting what is happening,” he said.
At the same time, Ioannisyan noted that representatives of the electricity distribution company ENA had assured observers that all substations were under strict monitoring, including by law enforcement agencies.
07 Jun 19:30
Alleged $20,500 vote-buying scheme linked to Strong Armenia uncovered
According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, investigators and officers from the Kotayk Regional Criminal Police Department have uncovered an alleged vote-buying scheme.
“The investigation obtained factual evidence indicating that individuals responsible for the Strong Armenia party’s regional office in Charentsavan, together with a parliamentary candidate registered by the political force and a group of supporters, promised and paid sums of money to 45 voters as electoral bribes amounting to 7.5 million drams [$20,500],” the committee said.
The Anti-Corruption Committee said a criminal case has been opened and seven people have been detained.
07 Jun 19:00
‘Those planning a coup can bang their heads against a wall’ – Armenian foreign minister
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that if the election is free and fair, refusing to accept the results would amount to a challenge to the country’s constitutional order.
Asked about the possibility of post-election unrest, Mirzoyan said:
“Those planning a coup can bang their heads against a wall. Anyone who dares challenge Armenia’s statehood, sovereignty and constitutional order will rot in prison for years.”
Mirzoyan is second on the electoral list of the Civil Contract party.
07 Jun 18:35
Interior Ministry receives reports of violations, including alleged possession of a bladed weapon at a polling station
By 17:00, the Interior Ministry said it had received 57 reports of alleged violations through the 112 operational command centre and the 87-67 hotline.
According to the ministry, the reported violations included:
19 cases of alleged double voting,
15 alleged breaches of ballot secrecy,
2 cases of obstruction of voting rights,
1 case of alleged vote-buying,
1 case involving the possession of a bladed weapon at a polling station.
“The materials have been transferred to the preliminary investigation authorities. Fourteen people have been detained,” the ministry said in a statement.
In addition, authorities are reviewing 198 other reports of alleged violations.
07 Jun 18:09
New photos from JAMnews correspondents at polling stations across Armenia
JAMnews correspondents continue to monitor voting in Yerevan. So far, they say they have not observed any serious violations or incidents at the polling stations they have visited.
07 Jun 17:45
Condominium head detained in Abovyan over alleged breach of ballot secrecy
According to the Investigative Committee, at polling station 29/09 in the town of Abovyan, condominium chairman A.G. approached voters with a voter list and discussed the voting process with them.
A criminal case has been opened by the Kotayk Regional Investigative Department under Part 2 of Article 215 of the Criminal Code, which concerns violations of ballot secrecy.
“A.G. was detained by police officers on reasonable suspicion of committing a crime and taken to the body conducting the investigation,” the Investigative Committee said.
The preliminary investigation is ongoing.
07 Jun 17:15
‘Armenia, your struggle is our struggle too’ – Zurabishvili
Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, wrote on X:
“Armenia, your struggle is our struggle too. These elections will determine your democratic and European future. We stand with you.”
07 Jun 18:25
Voter turnout reaches 48.92% by 17:00
According to the Central Election Commission, 1,224,957 people had cast their ballots by 17:00, representing 48.92% of eligible voters.
Photos by JAMnews
07 Jun 16:35
Three arrested on suspicion of vote-buying
The Interior Ministry said it had received a report alleging that representatives of one political group’s campaign headquarters were distributing cash incentives to voters near a polling station in the city of Gyumri.
“Police operational units immediately arrived at the location and detained three people on suspicion of offering electoral bribes. They were taken to the Shirak Regional Criminal Police Department,” the ministry said.
Authorities also reported finding lists of voters who had allegedly received the payments.
According to local media reports, those detained are supporters of the Strong Armenia alliance.
Footage of the arrests was released by the Interior Ministry.
07 Jun 16:00
Independent Observer reports violations at 387 polling stations
Daniel Ioannisyan, a representative of the Independent Observer mission and a human rights activist, said the organisation’s monitors had visited 1,420 polling stations and recorded violations at 387 of them.
“Procedural and relatively minor violations were observed at around 5.5% of polling stations. About 4.5% involved breaches of ballot secrecy, while 4% were related to attempts at psychological pressure or control over voters,” he said.
According to Ioannisyan, 20% of the violations were committed by members of local election commissions and authorised party representatives.
“Of these, 41% involved representatives of Strong Armenia and 26% involved representatives of the Civil Contract party,” he said.
Ioannisyan also reported problems with electronic voter registration devices and voting slips. In some cases, the number displayed by the registration device did not match the number in the voter list, slowing down the voting process and forcing commission members to locate voters manually using the old system.
07 Jun 15:35
Voter turnout reaches 33.84% by 14:00
According to the Central Election Commission, 847,226 people had cast their ballots by 14:00, representing 33.84% of eligible voters.
07 Jun 14:55
How voting is unfolding in Yerevan: JAMnews video
This video was filmed by a JAMnews correspondent at one of the polling stations in Yerevan.
07 Jun 14:35
High turnout reported at polling station where Tsarukyan cast his ballot
A queue formed at polling station 29/29 in Arinj, where Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan cast his vote. Of the roughly 2,000 voters registered at the station, around 600 had already voted.
The chair of the electoral commission attributed the high turnout to voters’ strong interest in the outcome of the election. Earlier, Tsarukyan made a similar observation, noting that people had been arriving to vote from 08:00 — something he said had not been seen in previous elections.
07 Jun 14:14
How voting is unfolding in Yerevan: photos by JAMnews correspondents
JAMnews correspondents are monitoring voting at polling stations across Yerevan. According to their reports, the election process is proceeding smoothly, in accordance with the law and in a positive atmosphere.
Here are some of their photographs.
07 Jun 13:40
Strong Armenia representative detained over alleged double voting attempt
The Investigative Committee said that at 08:19 on 7 June, A.S., an authorised representative of the Strong Armenia party, allegedly attempted to vote twice at polling station No. 20/56. The voting machine subsequently printed a receipt stating “attempted double voting”.
“The receipt was seized by the electoral commission for transfer to the Central Election Commission. A.S. was then removed from the polling station and reported to the police. He was detained on direct suspicion of committing a crime,” the committee said in a statement.
A criminal case has been opened by the Investigative Committee’s Gegharkunik regional department on suspicion of multiple voting.
07 Jun 13:13
Former president Kocharyan predicts defeat for Pashinyan
Former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan, the prime ministerial candidate of the Armenia Alliance, said his bloc would be prepared to support whichever opposition force receives the most votes — provided that force is not his own.
He said he was confident that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan would not secure a renewed mandate from voters. If he did, Kocharyan argued, it would be a “catastrophe” for Armenia.
Asked by a journalist whether the “European fairy tale” would prevail if Pashinyan won the election — apparently referring to Armenia’s path towards European integration — Kocharyan was dismissive.
“If the European fairy tale does not prevail, the country will not lose the rational basis for its development. What is being proposed is something whose prospects are not visible for at least the next 20 to 30 years,” he said.
Kocharyan argued that if Pashinyan’s party returns to power, “common sense, the state and the people” will be the losers.
Speaking about Armenia’s relations with Russia and economic restrictions imposed by Moscow, he said Russia could even freeze economic ties with Armenia unilaterally, which he said would be equivalent to suspending Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.
He also described criminal cases launched against opposition figures over alleged vote-buying as a disgrace.
“It feels as though every citizen of this country is being wiretapped and monitored. I do not remember anything like this before, when hundreds of people, all opposition figures without distinction, were facing criminal cases or house arrest. It is simply shameful,” he said, adding that the aim was to instil fear.
07 Jun 12:55
17 reports of alleged violations filed by 11:00
The Interior Ministry said it had received 17 reports of alleged violations at polling stations through its 112 operational command centre and the 87-67 hotline.
Among them were two cases of alleged double voting, which have been referred to the preliminary investigation authorities.
Law enforcement agencies said they are currently examining a further 53 reports of suspected violations. They are also reviewing information published in the media and on social media platforms.
07 Jun 12:12
Tsarukyan: Pashinyan promised peace but triggered ‘economic war’ with Russia
According to Gagik Tsarukyan, voters have been turning out in large numbers since polling stations opened at 08:00, something he said he had not witnessed before. In his view, this shows that “people want change”.
“We also voted for change for the better, so that people can live well, earn a decent income and be in good spirits. That’s all,” he told journalists.
Tsarukyan said the opposition has a chance of winning the election if it unites.
“We will definitely win — we’ve already won. We’ll see what happens next. Whoever gets the most votes will nominate their candidate for prime minister.”
Tsarukyan heads his party’s electoral list. However, throughout the campaign he repeatedly said he did not intend to become prime minister himself and that he had “three or four other candidates” in mind for the post, although he has not named them.
On election day, Tsarukyan again criticised the policies of the current authorities, particularly Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, referring to tensions in relations with Russia.
“He talked so much about peace that he started an economic war with Russia. Without an economy, there is no state. People will become poorer, go bankrupt and lose everything they have. We exported one truckload of goods to Europe, while a thousand are sent to Russia every day. Can a country’s problems really be solved with one truckload, my dear friends?” he said.
07 Jun 11:50
Man held for offering free transport to Armenian voters living in Russia
Police have detained a man who allegedly offered free travel to Armenia for citizens living in Russia so they could take part in the election.
According to the Investigative Committee, on 31 May 2026, A.G., vice-president of the Armenian Business Council of the Russian Federation, used a Telegram channel to promise free transportation to Armenia and assistance with all logistical arrangements to facilitate participation in the vote.
Investigators said pre-trial proceedings were under way to gather evidence and identify all individuals allegedly involved in the scheme, with a view to bringing them to justice.
07 Jun 11:40
‘This should not be a choice dictated by foreign interests’
According to Arman Tatoyan, the prime ministerial candidate from the Wings of Unity party and Armenia’s former ombudsman, the parliamentary election is of historic importance because it will determine the country’s future.
He said he had high hopes for the vote and argued that voters had demonstrated an awareness of the significance of the moment throughout the election campaign.
“I genuinely feel these changes in our country. People value their vote, and that is very important,” he said.
Tatoyan argued that Armenia needs a responsible government that will work solely in the interests of Armenian statehood.
He urged citizens to consider who would be capable of making the right decisions for the country and for their children when casting their ballots. He stressed that such decisions should not be left to outside forces or foreign states.
“This should not be a referendum for foreign interests, nor a choice made in the interests of others. We ourselves, all our cities and villages, must make this choice,” he said.
Several days before the election, the fact-checking platform FIP.am reported what it described as a voter recruitment campaign targeting Armenian citizens living in Russia. According to the investigation, the effort was coordinated by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Arsen Abramyan, head of the Armenian community in Ulyanovsk, reportedly told a presumed FSB officer — who was in fact a journalist — that community members had been explicitly instructed to vote for the “Russian team”. He also identified Tatoyan’s Wings of Unity party as part of that team.
07 Jun 11:25
Voter turnout reaches 14.48% by 11:00
According to the Central Election Commission, 362,657 people had cast their ballots by 11:00, representing 14.48% of all eligible voters.
07 Jun 11:25
Election-day surprises await first-time voters
The chair of polling station 5/16 in Yerevan, Tigran Galstyan, said voters had been actively participating in the parliamentary election. The Central Election Commission has also prepared surprises for citizens who have turned 18 and are voting for the first time. At polling stations, they are being given pendants, keyrings and other souvenirs bearing the CEC logo.
“We even had a couple come in on their wedding day. We gave them one of these pendants as well,” Galstyan said.
07 Jun 10:45
Pashinyan: ‘Armenian citizens will be winners of this election’
Prime Ministerial candidate Nikol Pashinyan of the Civil Contract party, who came to power in 2018, has also cast his vote.
Speaking to local and international media after voting, Pashinyan said he expected the election to reflect the free will of Armenia’s citizens.
“When making their choice, people should be guided by the need to protect the state, independence, the future and peace.”
He expressed confidence that the citizens of Armenia would emerge as the winners of the election.
Pashinyan also rejected accusations of “repression” against Strong Armenia, the party led by Russian businessman and billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. He said authorities had documented cases of vote-buying and that state institutions had a responsibility to respond. Throughout the election campaign, the Anti-Corruption Committee periodically reported alleged attempts to buy votes.
07 Jun 09:30
Strong Armenia representative first to cast ballot
Narek Karapetyan, who heads the Strong Armenia alliance’s electoral list, cast his vote in the town of Tashir. He told journalists he had voted for major change in Armenia.
Responding to allegations that Russia was seeking to influence the election through the Strong Armenia alliance, Karapetyan dismissed the claims as an information tactic used by the authorities. He added that Turkey’s foreign minister had openly expressed support for Armenia’s current government, which he said amounted to interference in the country’s internal affairs.
“We believe that no country should interfere in Armenia’s internal affairs, and that democratic elections should be held,” he said.
07 Jun 09:15
Ombudsman launches election monitoring, hotline 116 activated for complaints
The office of Armenia’s Ombudsman said it had activated an emergency response regime from early morning to ensure the prompt receipt and review of complaints and reports concerning human rights issues related to the election process, refer them to the relevant authorities and help safeguard citizens’ voting rights.
Voters can also submit complaints, reports and statements concerning human rights issues during the election process through the Ombudsman’s hotline by calling 116 or (+374 96) 116 100.
The office added that it was paying particular attention to information published in the media and on social media relating to human rights issues connected to the election process.
Dozens of violations were reported during the parliamentary elections in Armenia
Armenia’s Central Election Commission has reported high voter turnout during the regular parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has documented violations of election law.
As of 5:00 p.m. Yerevan time (4:00 p.m. Kyiv time), that is, three hours before polling stations closed, overall voter turnout reached 48.92%. This figure significantly exceeds voter turnout in the previous parliamentary elections, when only 38.52% of the total number of eligible voters (more than two and a half million citizens) had cast their ballots by the same time.
Despite the high voter turnout, the voting process was marred by a number of violations. The Operational Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and a special hotline received dozens of reports; following an investigation, law enforcement officials documented 19 cases of multiple voting (“carousel voting”), 15 instances of violations of voting secrecy, two cases of obstruction of the right to vote, as well as isolated incidents of voter bribery and the carrying of cold weapons directly on the premises of the polling station. All collected evidence was promptly forwarded to pre-trial investigation authorities, and the police detained 14 individuals involved in the violations.
In addition to officially recorded crimes, authorities are currently reviewing approximately two hundred reports of possible fraud and conducting a detailed analysis of publications in the local press and on social media. At 7:00 p.m. Kyiv time, polling stations across Armenia officially closed, and commission members began preparations for counting the ballots. The current election process is of immense geopolitical significance, as it is taking place amid serious political pressure on Yerevan from Moscow due to the Nikol Pashinyan government’s consistent course toward rapprochement with the European Union and the diversification of its security policy.
This is reported by Radio Free Europe’s Armenian Service.
Official voting in theearly parliamentary elections began in Armenia on Sunday, June 7.
Lavrov stated that Armenia must be held accountable for its words following its pro-EU course
Yerevan stated that it may resort to tough measures if the price of Russian gas rises. Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan noted that the country would consider withdrawing from the CSTO and the EAEU if Russia takes sucha step.
Armenia has appealed to the EU to send a rapid response team to counter Russian influence.
The Armenian opposition proposed creating a “Ministry of Sex” to promote women’s happiness.
According to the Foreign Intelligence Service, the launch of the TRIPP route between the U.S. and Armenia diminishes Russia’s role as the main player in the South Caucasus. The new corridor will connect Asia and Europe via Armenia and Azerbaijan without Moscow’s involvement.
The Speaker of theArmenian Parliament spoke out sharply against Russian propagandists.