Armenian law enforcement agencies have launched a criminal investigation to identify and apprehend individuals who made death threats in an alleged assassination plot against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a video shared online.

The video shows a masked man speaking, while four others—also wearing masks—stand behind him, brandishing what appear to be AKS-74U assault rifles.

The Investigative Committee stated in a press release that the individuals illegally accessed restricted computer network data to share the video during a live broadcast. It said:

“Motivated by hatred and intolerance, and combined with hooligan motives during a live broadcast, they disseminated a video containing a threat that poses a real danger of committing murder against the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, related to his state and political activities and conditioned by his political views.”

In the video, the masked man, addressing Pashinyan, says: “We know where and when you are going… you must answer for your every step.”

A criminal proceeding has been initiated in connection with an alleged assassination plot (conspiracy to commit murder) as well as computer system sabotage and the illegal circulation of firearms and ammunition. An investigation is underway to identify the suspects.

Pashinyan himself responded to the video while campaigning for the June 7 election:

“They have put on masks, as if they are strong men. But do you know why they are wearing masks? Because once they take them off, we will see that these are the ones who abandoned our soldiers and ran away, filled with fear. I do not rule out that they are also the ones who fired from behind.

Go on, take off your masks, come out—let me see who you are. You come to Armenia wearing masks and making videos with automatic weapons? I will find each and every one of you. Take off your masks and present yourselves voluntarily.

You left our children alone in the positions and ran away, you scum, you scoundrels. You ran away at Ferrari speed—who are you to speak? Are you the ones who come to tell us that we sacrificed our children? You are the ones who fled from positions.

We will bring each and every one of you to your knees, we will hold you accountable for leaving our children alone and fleeing,” said Pashinyan.

Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Nurlan Seitimov and his delegation met with Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan in Yerevan, the CEC said in a press release.

Seitimov heads the CIS observer mission.

The CIS will deploy a total of 120 observers to Armenia for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The CEC said in a press release that Hovakimyan welcomed the representatives of the observation mission and presented the Central Electoral Commission’s preparations for the upcoming elections.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan on Monday said that opposition forces running in the June 7 parliamentary elections are “hopeless” and suggested that they may fail to reach the minimum vote threshold required to win seats.

“It is obvious that the political parties considered to be the main opposition forces have a problem overcoming the minimum threshold,” Simonyan, a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, told reporters.

He said the Armenia Alliance, led by former president Robert Kocharyan, would “obviously” fail to secure enough votes. “They will obviously fail to overcome the electoral threshold. For them, it is impossible to garner one hundred thousand votes in Armenia, I am sure. That’s why Robert Kocharyan is ready to do anything—to say nice things, to flatter, to say he likes listening to Dua Lipa, to make insults—just to get a reaction,” he said.

Simonyan also criticized the Strong Armenia alliance, led by business tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, claiming they are unfamiliar with Armenian society.

“With regard to Strong Armenia, it is also obvious that the mysterious veil of a so-called new force was lifted in March. When the lights were turned on, everything became crystal clear: those people don’t even know Armenian spelling, they don’t know Armenian society, and have no idea what they are talking about. They are left with only one thing—to insult, provoke, display aggression, and try to understand how the government will respond,” Simonyan said.

The Speaker also questioned whether Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia party would secure enough votes to enter parliament.

The electoral threshold for political parties is 4%, while alliances of up to three parties must pass an 8% threshold. Alliances consisting of three or more parties must pass a 10% threshold.

Nineteen political forces are running in the June 7 parliamentary election.

YEREVAN, 18 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 18 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.19 drams to 368.04 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.99 drams to 427.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0424 drams to 5.0736 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.47 drams to 491.3 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 1863 drams to 53579 drams. Silver price down by 95.69 drams to 931.71 drams.

The Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s election observer delegation to the 7 June parliamentary elections in Armenia will be in Yerevan on 22-23 May in preparation for the full deployment of observers next month, OSCE PA press service said in a statement.

Jevrosima Pejović, member of the Parliament of Montenegro and Vice-Chair of the OSCE PA General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, who has been appointed by OSCE PA President Pere Joan Pons to serve as the Head of the OSCE PA Delegation of observers, will meet with a wide range of interlocutors to learn more about the overall pre-electoral environment.

The visit aims to offer insights into the pre-electoral context and preparations for the upcoming elections. Over two days, Pejović will meet with representatives of state authorities, the election administration, political parties and alliances, civil society organizations, media representatives, and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Mission already deployed on the ground.

Pejović will work alongside Special Co-ordinator Farah Karimi (Netherlands), who will lead the short-term OSCE observer mission.

The OSCE PA’s election observation mission will work closely with the observation mission of OSCE/ODIHR, as well as delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament (EP).

The Assembly has a longstanding record of engagement in Armenia and has observed numerous elections in the country over the years with the first mission dating back to 1995. This continued involvement reflects the OSCE PA’s commitment to supporting democratic institutions and electoral processes across the OSCE region.

More than 100 parliamentarians and staff from over 30 countries across the OSCE region are expected to take part in the OSCE PA’s election observation mission, contributing to a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process.

The Armenian authorities have taken out loans to implement army reforms and develop the security system, as it required significant financial resources, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Civil Contract Party Nikol Pashinyan said during a meeting with residents of Yerevan’s Arabkir administrative district.

Speaking about army reforms, the social security of servicemen and Armenia’s security policy, Pashinyan said the government had borrowed funds to carry out reforms.

“Yes, we have taken on debt to implement reforms. Why did we take on debt? Because we needed the money urgently and in large amounts,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, Armenia’s public debt remains at an acceptable level by international standards.

Pashinyan compared these investments to families purchasing apartments through mortgage loans.

“In the same way, we have invested in the well-being of our country,” he said.Pashinyan also referred to the military parade scheduled for May 28 in Republic Square, stating that citizens would see an army of a completely new quality there.

He noted that servicemen participating in the “Defender of the Fatherland” program would also take part in the parade.

According to Pashinyan, under the program, 18-year-old young people enter contract service after six months of training and receive salaries ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 drams.

Pashinyan also announced that starting from 2026, all officers graduating from the Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy and entering service will receive apartments from the state.

In addition, he said the government had decided to solve the accumulated housing problems of long-serving servicemen and the families of deceased soldiers over the next four years.

Pashinyan added that there are currently servicemen in the Armenian army receiving salaries of up to 700,000 drams.

Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I met Pope Pope Leo XIV on May 18 in a meeting described by Vatican News as taking place in a warm and brotherly atmosphere.

Aram I and Leo XIV delivered messages stressing the importance of interchurch dialogue, joint Christian witness and efforts aimed at promoting peace, before taking part in a joint prayer.

During the meeting, Pope Leo XIV said the special relationship between the churches, which had been particularly strong during the Middle Ages, had entered a new stage of development.

He also thanked Aram I for his efforts to advance theological dialogue between the churches.

“At a time when the unity and integrity of your country are once again under threat,” the Pope said in reference to Lebanon, “our churches are called upon to strengthen their fraternal ties.”

The pontiff also expressed concern over the situation facing the Lebanese people and churches across the Middle East.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Robert Abisoghomonyan received a delegation led by  Head of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Observer Mission and Deputy Secretary General of the CIS, Nurlan Seitimov, the foreign ministry said in a readout.

During the meeting, Abisoghomonyan referred to legislative reforms initiated by the Armenian government aimed at strengthening public trust and improving institutional preparedness and electoral processes.

Ahead of Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, the deputy foreign minister reaffirmed the commitment to holding free, fair and transparent elections in line with international standards.

He also stressed the Armenian government’s readiness to ensure all necessary conditions for the effective work of international observers.

The sides additionally underscored the importance of ensuring the transparent and impartial conduct of election observation missions.