The destruction of an election poster should have been treated as an administrative offense, and the criminal prosecution and detention of Armenian resident Armen Hovhannisyan were illegal, human rights activists and a lawyer stated after the detainee committed suicide.
As reported by the “Caucasian Knot,” on May 16, it was reported that Armenian resident Armen Hovhannisyan committed suicide in the Nubarashen Psychiatric Hospital after being detained after tearing down an election poster.
A case was opened against Hovhannisyan under Article 211 of the Criminal Code (obstructing campaigning). He was initially held in a detention facility, but no charges were brought against him. He was then transferred to a psychiatric hospital after security forces noticed his unstable behavior, Factor.am reported.
Human rights activists and a lawyer criticized security forces for prosecuting Hovhannisyan
Five human rights activists issued a statement in connection with the death of the detainee, Aysor.am reported today. The authors of the joint statement, whose names are not included in the publication, considered the man’s detention “a gross violation of the law by the law enforcement system.”
“The act of tearing down a poster is clearly defined in the legislation of the Republic of Armenia in Article 40.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and cannot serve as grounds for initiating a criminal case or, even more so, for arresting a person in criminal proceedings. This is an elementary legal truth that all officials involved in the process were obliged to know and take into account. However, a reality has developed in Armenia in which the law enforcement system has become a political tool, and the law is subject to arbitrary interpretation,” the human rights activists stated.
They are convinced that the incident cannot be presented as an “accident” or a “personal tragedy.” “This is a consequence of legal permissiveness, impunity, and the flagrant distortion of the law by law enforcement agencies,” the statement reads.
Damaging the poster can in no way entail criminal liability.
Lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan expressed a similar opinion, commenting on the detainee’s suicide. “Damaging a campaign poster is an administrative offense (Article 40.11 of the RA Code of Administrative Offenses). The penalty is a fine of 50,000-100,000 drams (from 135 to 270 dollars. – Note from the “Caucasian Knot”). Damaging a poster can in no way entail criminal liability. The death of a man who committed suicide in the Nubarashen Psychiatric Hospital lies on the conscience of law enforcement officials if the facts presented in the media are confirmed,” the publication quotes him as saying today.
Authorities stated that doctors were unable to save the detainee
The Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Health commented on Hovhannisyan’s death today, News.am reports.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Hovhannisyan was detained and was initially held in the detention facility of the Artashat Community Police Department. “On May 16, at approximately 9:30 a.m., the detainee was observed exhibiting mental instability, after which an ambulance was called. On the instructions of an ambulance doctor, the detainee, accompanied by police officers, was taken by ambulance to a mental health center,” the publication quoted the ministry’s statement.
The Ministry of Health, in turn, stated that the suicide was committed “in a very short period of time.”
“Medical personnel immediately responded to the situation and carried out the necessary emergency measures, but were unable to save the patient’s life. The patient, who had the status of a detainee, was monitored in accordance with the procedure established by law. All circumstances of the incident are being investigated by law enforcement agencies,” the publication quoted the Ministry of Health’s statement.
Activity of opponents of the ruling party attracts particular attention from security forces
As a reminder, on May 16, security forces also detained 10 supporters of the Strong Party Armenia,” who are suspected of obstructing the election campaign of representatives of the ruling party in the Lori region.
The day before, on May 15, security forces in the Yerevan metro detained a woman who had used a felt-tip pen to write a message on an election poster of the ruling Civil Contract party. The woman has been incommunicado, her lawyer reported.
The arrests of opposition supporters come amid accusations against the ruling party of abuse of power. Thus, on May 15, former Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan, who heads the Wings of Unity party’s candidate list, stated that college students in Armavir were forced to participate in a pre-election event in the interests of Armenia’s ruling party.
On May 13, teachers and students from schools in the Aragatsotn region, instead of attending school, participated in the ruling party’s election campaign. The Electoral Commission recalled that involving public sector employees and schoolchildren in election campaigning contradicts the Electoral Code. Representatives of the ruling party distanced themselves from the incident, but observers and the teachers themselves confirmed the violation.
Armenia’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 7. Seventeen parties and two blocs have been admitted. Samvel Karapetyan’s “Strong Armenia,” Robert Kocharyan’s “Armenia” bloc, and Gagik Tsarukyan’s “Prosperous Armenia” party are the most pro-Russian candidates in the upcoming elections. The Kremlin is backing Karapetyan, but he is legally ineligible to participate. The “Caucasian Knot” has prepared a report titled “2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia.”
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Source: Caucasian Knot