The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Anahit Manasyan, called on all political forces to avoid hate speech, discrimination, incitement to violence, and any other forms of _expression_ that exceed the limits of freedom of speech.

Manasyan made the remarks in parliament while presenting her 2025 annual report to lawmakers, in reference to challenges in the field of freedom of _expression_.

The Ombudsperson emphasized that in Armenia, freedom of _expression_ is sometimes perceived as an unlimited right, which leads to the spread of hate, discrimination, and speech inciting violence.

Manasyan stressed that freedom of _expression_ has clear limits and that everyone plays a key role in fostering a culture of responsibility in society.

At the same time, she expressed concern over the inconsistent application of accountability mechanisms in cases of violations of freedom of _expression_, particularly criminal liability, noting that differentiated approaches often create a perception of arbitrariness.

Manasyan highlighted the importance of establishing a unified practice in the application of criminal liability and using this tool only in cases that pose sufficient public danger.

She also found it problematic that such forms of speech, which constitute violations of conduct rules, rarely result in disciplinary accountability measures.

Especially in the context of the pre-election period, Manasyan called on all political forces to exclude from their political discourse any discriminatory language, hate speech, incitement to violence, and any other forms of _expression_ that violate the limits of freedom of _expression_.

A new €14.4 million customs and logistics center will be built in Armenia’s Syunik province to modernize border procedures and strengthen the country’s role as a regional trade and transport hub.

A ceremonial event was held at the State Revenue Committee (SRC) headquarters in Yerevan to mark the launch of the construction program for the Syunik Customs and Logistics Center.

An agreement to support the implementation of the project was signed between the SRC and the Italian company IRD Engineering, officially launching the program.

The event was attended by SRC Chairman Eduard Hakobyan, Ambassador of Italy to Armenia Alessandro Ferranti, Head of the Armenia Office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development George Akhalkatsi, Managing Director of IRD Engineering Paolo Orsini, as well as heads of various departments of the SRC.

“The Syunik Customs and Logistics Center is not just a major infrastructure project; it is an important step toward positioning Armenia as a regional logistics hub. The project is also a practical reflection of the Government of Armenia’s ‘Crossroads of Peace’ initiative, as it will become a modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure for regional stability and economic cooperation,” SRC Chairman Eduard Hakobyan was quoted as saying by the SRC press office.

The SRC Chairman stressed that the project implementation support agreement is not only an official document but also a symbol of shared responsibility, mutual trust, and an ambitious vision for development.

According to representatives of international organizations present at the event, the construction of the Syunik Customs and Logistics Center is an important contribution to regional cooperation and trade facilitation, as well as infrastructure development.

With this major initiative, a new economic and logistics hub will be established in southern Armenia, aimed at modernizing international cargo transportation and customs procedures, as well as creating a modern, digitized customs environment.

The total cost of the project is €14.4 million, and it is financed through loan and grant funds from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as co-financing from the Government of Armenia.

The center will be built in the area adjacent to the Shaki community in Armenia’s Syunik, next to the North-South Road Corridor, and is aimed at facilitating southbound cargo transportation by ensuring fast and digitized customs services. The newly established center will operate on a “one-stop, one-window” principle, allowing businesses to complete all necessary customs procedures in a single location, saving time and resources and enabling faster border processing.

The project envisions the introduction of modern customs and logistics solutions, including high-tech X-ray scanning and inspection equipment, truck service and parking areas, administrative and auxiliary infrastructure, as well as digital management and energy-efficient systems.

Design and technical works for the project have been entrusted to the Italian company IRD Engineering, which has international experience, while construction will be carried out in accordance with FIDIC Yellow Book international standards. At the same time, the project aims to obtain LEED green building certification, which includes energy-efficient and water-saving solutions, the development of green spaces, and the use of renewable energy sources.

Construction works are scheduled to begin in 2027.

As the campaigning period began in Armenia on Friday, the Strong Armenia party, led by Samvel Karapetyan, gathered outside the parliament building to present its manifesto to voters.

Narek Karapetyan, the party leader’s nephew and a senior party member, together with fellow party member Davit Ghazinyan, held a press briefing during the event.

Karapetyan said that, in the event of securing a majority in the June 7 parliamentary elections, the party would implement policies that “people would directly feel in their income and daily lives,” with a clear improvement in living standards.

“We plan to provide 100,000–150,000 drams per month to extremely poor families with more than five members. Seventy percent of this amount will be funded by wealthy Armenian businesspeople around the world, and the state will contribute only 30 percent,” Karapetyan said.

He called on the people of Armenia to participate in the elections and, if they want change, to vote for his political force.

Ghazinyan said the party has presented a realistic program, will not make populist promises, and will remain honest with the public.

“We are moving forward, and we are confident that we will have a strong Armenia,” Ghazinyan said.

The Bright Armenia party, led by former lawmaker and former Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan, will kick off its campaign event in Yeraskh, a village in Armenia’s Ararat Province, on Friday.

In a video posted on social media, Marukyan said the “special event” will be broadcast live.

“We will then travel to Aghveran to meet around two hundred young people to speak about our challenges, plans, and the solutions we offer,” Marukyan said, wishing a successful campaign season to all political forces running for parliament.

Marukyan called on all citizens to go out and vote on June 7.

The Bright Armenia party’s election manifesto is available here.

The campaigning period for the June 7 parliamentary elections kicked off in Armenia on Friday.

The Democratic Consolidation Party is touring Tavush Province on the first day of the campaigning season ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Party leader Suren Petrosyan announced on social media that they would present their election manifesto across the province.

“As you know, today is the first day of the campaign, and we will begin it in a very important, very symbolic, and very dear place for us — Tavush, specifically the Holy Saviour Church of Ijevan. Our first visit will then be to Voskepar. We will tour the region and present our pre-election plan as widely as possible,” Petrosyan said.

Armenia’s healthcare sector is facing a wave of fake messages and calls impersonating the spokesperson of the Minister of Health, in what she described to Armenpress as a coordinated information attack aimed at extracting sensitive medical data from hospital administrators.

Mariam Tsatryan, spokesperson for Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan, called on hospital administrators to remain vigilant.

Armenpress: In recent days, hospital directors have been receiving voice messages, calls, and letters in your name, which turn out to be fake. What is the target of this process?

Mariam Tsatryan: Yes, this is the second wave of an information attack in the sector. Unlike the previous case, when healthcare workers received messages featuring my photo, this time the targets are hospital directors. It seems they have gone further and even generated my voice using AI. The fake messages are being spread via WhatsApp, using my photo and different phone numbers.

Armenpress: What are those behind this information attack trying to achieve? Based on the nature of the requested information, can you infer their purpose?

Mariam Tsatryan: Judging by the nature of the questions, it is clear that they are trying to obtain information that could potentially lead to a dangerous process, given the sensitivity of the sector, medical confidentiality, and a number of other factors.

I am asking our healthcare community colleagues to remain highly vigilant and not respond to such suspicious messages or calls.

The Wings of Unity party, led by former Ombudsperson Arman Tatoyan, launched its campaign for the June 7 parliamentary elections near a 13th-century Armenian monastery in Tavush Province.

In a statement, the party highlighted the significance of launching the campaign there.

“This is not a random choice. This is where Mkhitar Gosh lived and worked — a man who, centuries ago, spoke about justice, law, and human dignity. These are the very values Armenia still needs today,” the party said.

A video posted online showed Tatoyan speaking outside the Goshavank Monastery in the village of Gosh.

Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan toured villages in Ararat Province on the first day of campaigning for the June 7 parliamentary elections.

“Our approach remains unchanged: to stand by the people, travel from village to village, and listen directly to the problems and concerns that trouble them,” Tsarukyan said on social media.

“During an open and candid dialogue, we tried to give honest and straightforward answers to the questions people are interested in, even the most painful ones.

The farmers have one shared desire — to have strong and secure borders, to work peacefully on their land, to create and build, and to look to their own and their children’s future with confidence.”

A newly formed Armenian political party, “Against All,” launched its campaign for the June 7 parliamentary elections in Yerevan, presenting proposals for major electoral reforms, including a “vote against all” option and lowering the electoral threshold.

The party presented its election manifesto at an event in downtown Yerevan.

Party member Hovsep Ghazaryan told reporters that the party’s main policy proposals include changing the electoral system, abolishing the “stable majority” rule in parliamentary elections, and lowering the electoral threshold to 1 percent.

Most notably, as the party’s name implies, it proposes adding an “against all” option on the ballot.

In their view, voters should have the opportunity to cast a ballot even if they do not support any of the candidates running for office, and the best way to ensure this is by including a “vote against all” option on the ballot.

Representatives of the “Against All” party have already stated that the party is self-dissolving, and that if it comes to power, it will implement its program within 100 days and then resign to trigger new elections. The party’s prime ministerial candidate is human rights advocate Nina Karapetyants, who, if elected, would lead a 100-day government and commit to staying out of politics for 10 years afterward.

At the launch of the campaign, party representatives also carried out a so-called “mud-throwing” protest, throwing mud at a poster featuring the logos of all political forces, saying it symbolized the “toxic and dirty atmosphere” in the political arena.

The Reformist Party unveiled its election manifesto ahead of the June 7 polls as Friday marked the first day of the campaigning season.

Key points presented by party president, former lawmaker Vahan Babayan, as well as the party’s candidate for prime minister, former Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan, include adopting a new national security concept in response to shifting geopolitical conditions, addressing demographic challenges through a state-led immigration program, and introducing constitutional reforms to limit the PM to a single term while tightening eligibility requirements for the office.

The program also suggests making voting a civic duty, replacing the deposit-based election system with a signature-based mechanism, and significantly expanding state involvement in the economy.

In social policy, it calls for free higher education and healthcare, along with substantial salary increases for teachers and doctors.

It proposes positioning Armenia as a regulated and attractive regional crypto hub to attract investment, create jobs, and improve economic transparency.

Following the presentation of the party manifesto at a press event, party members rallied in Yerevan.