NDP: State leverage is being used as a means of political pressure in  Armenia`s pre-election campaign

ArmInfo.State leverage is being used as a means of political pressure in Armenia's pre-election  campaign, according to the Council of the National Democratic Pole (NDP).

In a statement received by ArmInfo, the political party noted that  three extremely disturbing incidents were recorded in the last five  days of the 29-day election campaign in Armenia alone.

In particular, police confiscated the campaign vehicle of the  National Democratic Pole; Artsakh activist Artur Osipyan was detained  for questioning one of the prime ministerial candidates and  expressing political disagreement during the campaign; and Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan, even before the trial began, publicly  announced espionage charges against Andranik Tevanyan, number two on  the Prosperous Armenia Party list. The political party noted that  Pashinyan's statement was immediately followed by actions by the  National Security Service and an appeal from the Prosecutor General's  Office to the Central Election Commission of Armenia.

"Three different goals. Five days. One clear pattern: the state  apparatus is increasingly being used not to ensure the rule of law,  but to exert political pressure and suppress opponents," the NDP  stated.

Regarding the confiscation of election headquarters vehicles, the NDP  noted that these actions constitute political interference, as Part 2  of Article 8 of the RA Constitution guarantees equal legal conditions  for the activities of political forces, and Article 78 requires that  any restriction of fundamental rights be necessary, proportionate,  and lawful.

The political party stated that it has already filed an official  complaint with the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs and is sending  relevant documents to the OSCE/ODIHR, the Council of Europe, and the  Venice Commission.

"As for Artur Osipyan, he is one of more than 100,000 Armenians  forcibly displaced from Artsakh in September 2023. Arresting someone  for raising a political issue and voicing it to a public official  during a campaign is a gross violation of freedom of speech,  political participation, and constitutional rights. This is a clear  manifestation of political persecution. The NDP Council demands the  immediate release of Artur Osipyan," the statement reads.

Regarding the charges brought against Andranik Tevanyan, the NDP  stated that it does not share the geopolitical orientation and  political positions of the Prosperous Armenia Party, but that this is  not a matter of political sympathy or antipathy.

"The problem is that the prime minister, who was on vacation at the  time, publicly announces criminal charges against an opposition  candidate, resulting in the parliamentary candidate's arrest before  his trial.  Every voter, human rights activist, and international  observer has every right to question whether law enforcement and  judicial processes serve justice or are being turned into instruments  of political expediency," the political party continued.

In this regard, the PDP Council calls on the OSCE/ODIHR, the Council  of Europe, and the Venice Commission to consider the events of May  18-22, 2026, as a documented and escalating dangerous trend and to  take appropriate measures.

"The international presence in Armenia should not be formal or  symbolic. It must serve as a real guarantee of democratic standards  and political freedoms. We call for the use of all available tools to  document, condemn, and prevent further violations of human rights,  political pluralism, and democratic processes," the political party  stated, adding that the use of state force against political  opponents does not change the PDP's behavior and message.

"On the contrary, it makes the justice and necessity of our struggle  even more compelling. We will continue our political struggle for a  sovereign, secure, and democratic Armenia. Faith. Homeland.  Sovereignty," the PDP concluded.