Category: News

Armenia arrests six candidates for pro-Russian opposition day before vote

Lilit Nahapetian
Reuters
June 6 2026
By Lucy Papachristou
  • Reports give no reason for detentions of six
  • Polls show their Strong Armenia party in second place
  • Russia steps up trade pressure amid Yerevan’s pivot to West
YEREVAN, June 6 (Reuters) – Armenian authorities arrested six candidates for a pro-Russian opposition party on Saturday, a day before they were due to stand ‌in general elections, state media reported, without giving any reason for the detentions.
The report said they were from the Strong Armenia party, led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government – accusations he rejects as politically motivated.
Armenia’s relationship with traditional patron Russia has emerged as a central electoral issue. Moscow has slapped restrictions on Armenian exports in recent weeks ⁠in response to Yerevan’s warming relationship with the West.

RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA IN FOCUS

Around 2.4 million Armenians will be eligible to cast their ballots in Sunday’s election, which is also seen as a test of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s efforts to forge peace with longtime foe Azerbaijan.
Polls suggest Strong Armenia has the support of between 6% and 11% of the electorate, putting it in second place behind Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party, which has a substantial lead with between 24% and 32%.
Armenian civil society groups have raised alarm over what they say are Russian state-sponsored disinformation efforts in the lead-up to the election. Moscow routinely denies it meddles in other countries’ internal affairs.
State media ‌outlet Armenpress ⁠said the Central Election Commission had allowed investigators to initiate criminal proceedings against the six candidates, without going into further details.
Armenia’s state Investigative Committee, which made the arrests, did not immediately respond on Saturday to questions about the reasons for the move.
There was no immediate response from Strong Armenia, which wants to maintain Yerevan’s economic and political ties to Russia, and ⁠has accused Pashinyan of stoking war with Moscow.
Armenia’s Interior Ministry said earlier this week it had identified at least 78 cases of pre-election crimes and had detained 44 people, according to figures cited by Armenian media.
The reports did not specify which ⁠political parties the detained people belong to.
Pressure against Strong Armenia has been mounting ahead of Sunday’s vote.
At an extraordinary session held late on Friday, the Central Election Commission rejected a lawsuit filed by another opposition group ⁠to ban Strong Armenia from participating in the elections over accusations it was bribing voters and financing its campaign illegally, among other issues.
Strong Armenia broadly dismissed the lawsuit, with Armenian media quoting the party’s spokeswoman as saying the group was “ready for all scenarios” on Sunday.
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Five arrested in vote-buying probe involving Strong Armenia party

Albert Nalbandian
Law13:36, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Five individuals have been arrested amid an ongoing investigation into alleged vote buying involving the Strong Armenia party.

According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, the party’s office heads in the Kanaker-Zeytun district of Yerevan acted with accomplices to distribute electoral bribes.

A court has remanded two of the suspects in pre-trial detention.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Gyumri mayor under investigation for allegedly plotting coup

Emil Lazarian
Armenia16:33, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: Armenian:

A criminal investigation into an alleged coup plot involving Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has been launched after the Investigative Committee said it received a report on the apparent crime on June 5, 2026.

In a statement, the law enforcement agency said that Ghukasyan, in 2025, through recruiting accomplices across the country, had plotted to seize power but failed to carry out the conspiracy due to “circumstances beyond their control.”

Following the report, the General Department for the Investigation of Crimes against the State, Constitutional Order, and Public Security of the Investigative Committee of Armenia has initiated criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 43-419 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (preparation to usurp power).

Within the framework of the criminal proceedings, measures are being taken to identify all persons allegedly involved in the plot, as well as to clarify the mechanisms of the offence and provide a legal assessment of their actions.

Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan has been in pre-trial detention since October 2025 on unrelated bribery charges, which he denies. The city has been governed by an acting mayor ever since.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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EU pledges continued support for Armenia amid Russian pressure

Emil Lazarian
Politics15:10, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: EspañolPersianFrançaisՀայերենქართულიRussian中文

The EU has pledged to continue supporting Armenia amid what it describes as growing Russian pressure, including trade restrictions on Armenian goods.

EU officials said Russia is using trade as a political tool ahead of elections and aims to harm Armenia’s economy.

“Armenia is a sovereign, democratic and independent country, having its right to choose its own path and partners,” the EU’s lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Anitta Hipper, said at a press briefing when asked by Armenpress’ Brussels correspondent about EU support measures for Armenia amid Russian import restrictions.

“We see, however, the attempts from Russia that are massively intensifying to put pressure on its [Armenia’s] people ahead of the election. So, Russia is now using trade as a political weapon and political pressure measure against the members of the Eurasian Economic Union. And the timing as such is not coincidence. So, this does not come as a surprise that Russia aims at hurting Armenia’s economy at this critical time. So, EU on our side is a trusted and reliable partner, and we will continue supporting Armenia on all issues of importance to its people,” Hipper said.

European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Olof Gill, in turn, referred to the recent phone call between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after which the EU announced immediate financial assistance worth over €50 million, in addition to other measures.

Russia has imposed growing restrictions in recent weeks on the import of Armenian goods, ranging from flowers and certain fruits and vegetables to mineral water, fish and alcoholic drinks, citing alleged phytosanitary violations. This has prompted Armenian exporters to search for new markets, including in the EU.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenian deputy minister calls for stronger cooperation between state, private

Hagop Kamalian
High Technologies10:43, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Armenian First Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Gevorg Mantashyan has highlighted the importance of cybersecurity and stressed the need for the full implementation of the new regulatory law, alongside stronger cooperation between the state, private sector, and experts.

Speaking at the “Cybersecurity as a National Priority” panel discussion during the RISE Powered by Silicon Mountains 2026 forum, Mantashyan presented the programs implemented by the ministry, particularly emphasizing the importance of the reliability of state digital infrastructures, the security of identification systems, and data protection, the ministry said in a press release.

Industry leaders—including specialists from government institutions and the private sector—discussed current challenges in digital security, the development of legal regulations, and the enhancement of the cyber resilience of critical infrastructure. Special attention was paid to the prospects for applying new technological solutions in the field.

According to Mantashyan, a key component of the sector’s development is the formation of human capital and the existence of clear rules. Alongside ongoing legislative reforms, the ministry is implementing educational and awareness programs, initiatives for schoolchildren and students, as well as hackathons. These contribute to the identification of new talent and the training of qualified specialists.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the importance of the adoption of the Law on Cybersecurity, noting that the need to regulate the sector had been discussed for many years. According to him, although possible directions for the further development and improvement of the law are already being discussed, the priority at this stage is for the adopted regulations to begin to operate and be fully applied. Based on the results of their implementation and effectiveness assessment, it will be possible to move on to the next stages of reforms and the introduction of additional solutions.

Referring to the use of cloud technologies, Mantashyan emphasized the importance of continuous cooperation with the private sector and the professional community. He stressed that when selecting and implementing technological solutions, it is necessary to be guided by the principles of cost-effectiveness, security, and long-term stability.

He also stressed that cybersecurity today is a shared responsibility, and that addressing modern threats requires close cooperation between the state, the private sector, and the professional community.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenia football coach says result against Kazakhstan is not the team’s top pr

Emil Lazarian
Sports18:59, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: EspañolՀայերենRussian

Armenia national football team head coach Yeghishe Melikyan has said that the results of the team’s upcoming matches against Kazakhstan and Moldova are not his primary concern.

“The result against Kazakhstan is not our top priority. I will not be discouraged if things do not work out for us this year. We need patient and consistent work for the team to start producing results. Before the official matches scheduled for the autumn, we need these games in order to understand our mistakes,” Melikyan told reporters during a pre-match press conference.

According to the head coach, the Kazakhstan national team is different this year and stronger than in previous seasons.

“We needed opponents that would resemble the teams we will face in the autumn. We selected teams that are neither very strong, nor average, nor weak. We needed opponents that would create problems for us on the pitch,” he said.

Melikyan stressed that he is not making promises that everything will immediately go well for the national team and urged supporters not to have excessively high expectations.

“I do not want to make big promises. We have a young team. A generational transition has taken place. I will not be disappointed if nothing works out for us this year. We need patience, and sooner or later this team will become a good team,” he said.

Armenia will host Kazakhstan in Yerevan on June 6, before facing Moldova on June 9.

Read the article in: EspañolՀայերենRussian

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenia women’s tennis team to compete in Billie Jean King Cup in San Marino

Emma Nadirian
Sports19:00, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: Armenian:

Armenia’s women’s national tennis team will take part in the Billie Jean King Cup.

The announcement was made by the press service of the Tennis Federation of Armenia.

Matches in Group III of the Europe Zone of the Billie Jean King Cup will be held in San Marino from June 15 to June 20.

Representing Armenia at the year’s most important team tournament will be Elina Avanesyan, Ani Amiraghyan, Maria Azizyan and Alina Soghomonyan.

Read the article in: Armenian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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AUA Hosts Opening of Triangle Park–Karen Kakosian Gardens

Elizabeth Jabejian
by Contributor

 

 June 5, 2026

 

in Armenia, Latest, News, Top Stories

AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian cutting the ribbon to the newly opened AUA Triangle Park–Karen Kakosian Gardens on June 4


A New Space for Community, Reflection, and Growth

YEREVAN — The American University of Armenia on June 4 hosted the highly anticipated opening and ribbon cutting of the AUA Triangle Park–Karen Kakosian Gardens. 

The vision behind the park was to create a new green space for both the AUA community and residents of Yerevan. The park carries the name of Karen Kakosian, AUA supporter and philanthropist, and embodies a legacy of generosity, community service, and dedication to future generations. 

Although construction has not yet been fully completed, in consideration of the inconvenience for community members walking from Vagharshyan Street to Baghramyan Avenue, the AUA administration decided to hold a soft opening and make the park accessible to the community as soon as possible. The central corridor will remain open for public use, while the remaining minor adjustments and finishing touches will be completed in the coming weeks.

More than 120 new trees and multiple green spaces are already shaping the park’s landscape. While the transformation is already visible, it will take several seasons for the trees and shrubs to fully mature and reach their final appearance.

Once the construction is fully completed, the park will serve as a vibrant and green meeting place for both the AUA community and local residents. Accessible to persons with physical disabilities and limitations, the terraced landscape introduces a snake path into the park, spaces for play, sports, and accommodation areas. 

AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian presided over the event that welcomed AUA community members, donors, and supporters; Chair of the AUA Board of Trustees Zaven P. Akian; members of the AUA Board of Trustees; Head of the Arabkir Administrative district Suren Varosyan; His Excellency Dr. Narek Mkrtchyan, Ambassador of Armenia to the United States of America and AUA alumnus, and other distinguished guests.

In his remarks, Dr. Boghosian expressed his gratitude to the Kakosian and Avedisian families for their invaluable contributions, to Yerevan Municipality for support of the initiative, and to the many individuals and organizations whose collective efforts helped transform the vision of a revitalized park into reality. “Today’s event marks more than the opening of a space. It is a testament to the power of partnership and shared vision: a gift from AUA to our beautiful city. I hope the AUA Triangle Park–Kakosian Gardens will serve as a place of connection, learning, and inspiration for many years to come,” he remarked.

Head of the Arabkir Administrative District Suren Varosyan emphasized the value of the partnership between AUA and the Yerevan Municipality, commended the high quality of the renovation, and reaffirmed his support for future projects that contribute to community development and the expansion of green public spaces in the city.

AUA alumnus and Kakosian Scholarship recipient Gor Ghazaryan (BAB ’25) expressed gratitude to Dr. Kakosian for his support of student scholarships and the creation of the park, highlighting the lasting impact of his investment in education and community.

A neighborhood resident, Tsoleen Sarian, also delivered remarks, expressing gratitude to everyone whose vision and efforts made the park’s renovation possible and noting that she looked forward to seeing it continue to serve students, neighbors, and visitors.

In his turn, Dr. Kakosian thanked AUA leadership, the Municipality of Yerevan, his family, and all those whose dedication and collaboration helped bring the project to fruition.

The selection of the architectural and construction firms for the Triangle Park’s design and construction was made through open bidding processes. The landscape architect of the park Ruud Dubbeld from MTD Landscapers, Netherlands, was also present at the event. He reflected on the six-year journey of designing and realizing the park project, noting that despite numerous challenges, the project successfully transformed a competition-winning concept into a sustainable, climate-resilient green space for students, local residents, and the wider Yerevan community. 

In conclusion, speaking on behalf of the AUA Board of Trustees, Chair Zaven P. Akian remarked, “This park was conceived not just as a campus enhancement, but as a true public space — one that connects the University with the surrounding neighborhoods and reflects our belief that AUA should remain open, engaged, and integrated with the community around it.”

Prior to the completion of the renovation, the park was used intensively by residents of the neighborhood and AUA community but lacked quality, atmosphere, and maintenance. In 2020, an extensive study was carried out by AUA students, through which inhabitants’ wishes and ideas were collected and analyzed through a Stakeholder Engagement Process. The results of this research served as the starting point for the park’s concept design, which ensured that the park is climate adaptive in every season, strengthening local biodiversity, and implements smart energy and technologies.

The Park project was initially made possible through a grant from the Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that was awarded in September 2019. Following the closure of USAID, the project was completed with a generous donation from Dr. Karen Kakosian, whose commitment to AUA is also reflected in the establishment of the Kakosian Family Scholarships, and the Avedisian Family Foundation, one of AUA’s major benefactors, which has supported numerous educational and infrastructure initiatives across the University. The location of the project was provided to the University by the Yerevan Municipality for unrestricted use for 25 years. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.

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CC: Michael Rubin to Congress: Turkish President Erdoğan a Threat to U.S. Inte

Emil Lazarian

· JUNE 5, 2026


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168: What price are they willing to pay for CP reproduction?

Jirair Kafian

June: 5, 2026

Nikol Pashinyan and members of the Communist Party were in agony over the fear of losing power.

During the entire pre-election period, on the one hand, they scared the people with war, on the other hand, they used state funds and government levers to bribe the citizens for the sake of the CP reproduction. The opposition was widely intimidated, criminal cases were initiated for hiring legal workers in pre-election headquarters, legally paid salaries were described as bribes, money laundering, and people were taken into custody, while they freely distributed money from the budget, made extravagant promises, and abused their position of power.

The government, which has considered raising pensions impossible, even senseless for years, decided to raise pensions 2 months before the elections. Regardless of what name will be attached to it, it had one goal and the price of that goal is almost 200 million dollars, which, in fact, was indirect pre-election assistance given to the ruling political force from the state budget, which all other political forces participating in the elections are deprived of.

200 million is the price that the government paid from the state budget in order to secure votes for KP among pensioners during the elections.

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To remind, pensioners are the largest group of voters, whose votes they “decided to buy” for 10,000 drams. On the other hand, they tried to cover the topic of their seven-figure bonuses. Especially since they have no intention to refuse to distribute bonuses.

The small and big government officials who receive bonuses do not form a less large group among the voters. Therefore, they tried to preserve their votes by allocating large sums of money from the state budget.

This pre-election assistance given to CP cost the state 21-22 million dollars. We are talking only about the additional bonuses, which are called semi-annual incentives. Current bonuses are not included in that amount.

Before the elections, the next pre-election initiative, which was decided to be implemented in support of the political government, was the financing of interest-free agricultural loans at the expense of the state budget. The state assumed the entire burden of subsidizing the interest of those loans.

What it will cost the state budget will depend on the demand presented by the villagers. The higher the demand, the wider they will open the state’s pocket.

But, as we have been convinced many times, this is not a problem for the CP when the danger of losing power is on the table. It is the danger of losing power that forced everyone to bribe everyone at the expense of the state shortly before the elections. At the expense of the budget, they decided not only to provide interest-free loans, but also to subsidize the prices of fertilizers and milk procurement.

From April 1, the salaries of the employees of the capital’s ambulance and care centers under the Ministry of Social Affairs were raised. From May 1, the salaries of the employees of kindergartens under Yerevan Municipality.

Why exactly from April or May 1, when the year starts from January 1, is still clear.

It has been a long time since they stopped the project of building apartments with the help of the state in the border settlements. We are talking about the program of 16 million people. It was decided that the project would not be restarted because, apart from the many problems that had arisen with it, it had also become a way for some people to build summer houses in the border areas.

To the surprise of many, it was reopened again with political expectations.

2 months before the elections, the property tax of electric cars was drastically reduced.

With political expectations, they even made concessions for the citizens of Artsakh in the housing maintenance program. In some areas, the amount for the purchase of an apartment was increased by 1 million drams.

Until then, they were categorically against it, they reminded the people of Artsakh before the elections.

For the sake of reproduction of CP, they bribed not only citizens, but also businesses. They decided to review the conditions for criminalizing businesses for non-payment of taxes.

It is known that when cases of non-fulfilment of tax obligations exceeding 10 million drams are discovered, criminal cases are filed against businesses and people are taken to prison. This caused serious complaints among the business community. But it was not known yesterday, nor was it the first day. It was like that for years, but only on the eve of the elections they remembered about it and eased the conditions.

Before the elections, big business could not be offered a better pre-election bribe.

The commissions charged by banks during cashless trade were also reduced for small businesses.

Suddenly and without financial security, they introduced medical insurance. Even those who were deprived of their driving license due to drunken driving were “selflessly” restored.

These are not all pre-election initiatives, through which they tried to secure votes for CP before the elections by using state funds and state levers. That series is so long that it is even pointless to mention and enumerate it all. But that is what the government tried to ensure its reproduction by widespread bribery at the expense of state funds and distribution of promises to the voters.

HAKOB KOCHARYAN




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