21:17, 17 June 2026

World boxing champion Israel Hakobyan ended his hunger strike.

Israel Akopkokhyan, who had declared a hunger strike demanding new parliamentary elections, has ended it. He stated his disappointment in the opposition forces.

As reported by Kavkazsky Knot, on June 14, those gathered outside the Armenian Central Election Commission greeted the official results of the parliamentary elections with cries of "Shame." World boxing champion Israel Akopkokhyan has declared a hunger strike, demanding new elections. He came to the protest wearing a T-shirt with a portrait of Putin wearing dark glasses and the caption "Russian Army."

On the same day, the Central Election Commission of Armenia announced the final results after a recount. According to them, Prosperous Armenia received 3.893% of the vote, failing to pass the parliamentary threshold. Three parties entered parliament: Civil Contract with 49.74% of the vote, the Strong Armenia bloc with 23.27%, and the Armenia bloc with 9.92%. The Central Election Commission is also considering re-voting at three polling stations where the results were annulled. Opposition supporters gathered outside the CEC building.

Honored Master of Sports of the USSR Israel Akopkokhyan ended his hunger strike. According to a statement from the press secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Hakobyan responded to Gagik Tsarukyan's appeal, News.am reported today.

Earlier, on 24News, Israel Hakobyan stated that the opposition had greatly disappointed him, Mamul.am reported.

"They can't be oppositionists; they're candidates for office. These people know me, but they were afraid to approach me. If you're such cowards, how are you going to go and eliminate Nikol?" he remarked in an interview.

In 2007, Hakobyan conducted a hunger strike in front of the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia, demanding the annulment of the parliamentary election results in constituency No. 11. Israel Hakobyan received 5,543 votes in the parliamentary elections. National Assembly member Grigor Margaryan won this district with 16,598 votes.

Oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia Party, former President Robert Kocharyan's Armenia bloc, and businessman Samvel Karapetyan's Strong Armenia bloc are the most pro-Russian participants in the Armenian parliamentary elections, analysts previously noted.

The parliamentary elections effectively became a referendum on the future of the current government and Armenia's foreign policy. The "Caucasian Knot" published a report "2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia".

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/424191