The Armenian authorities have arrested opposition figure Avetik Chalabyan for allegedly traveling and meeting with officials of an unnamed state to ‘incite them to ensure the victory of their preferred political force’.

Chalabyan, who is a member of the Armenian Referendum civil society group, was arrested on Wednesday, according to Armenia’s Investigative Committee.

According to Armenpress, Chalabyan was remanded to two months of pre-trial detention. The outlet cited the Investigative Committee as saying the reason behind his arrest were visits Chalabyan had conducted abroad in May 2026, where he met with ‘officials of another country’.

‘[He] persuaded them and incited them to use their official and governmental powers and their influence to hinder the free exercise of electoral rights of Armenian citizens’, the agency said, according to Armenpress.

Independent news outlet Civilnet cited the committee as saying that Chalabyan had reached an agreement with foreign officials to ‘force Armenian employees of that country’ to come to Armenia and vote for the Strong Armenia Alliance — an opposition group recently founded by Russian–Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan.

While the country which Chalabyan had allegedly visited was not specified, Armenian officials and local watchdogs repeatedly warned prior to the 7 June elections of potential Russian interference.

Russia, a long-time traditional ally of Armenia, has yet to congratulate Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his Civil Contract party’s victory.

On Wednesday, prominent Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan suggested that Armenians who voted for Pashinyan should not be allowed into Russia, claiming that those who supported him ‘support Russophobia’ and ‘hate Russia’.

‘I’m a pure-blooded Armenian and I speak out so that those who support Pashinyan, those who hate Russia, ungrateful creatures who vote for him — entry for them into my native country Russia is forever forbidden’, Simonyan said.