Opposition figure Avetik Chalabyan has been detained in Armenia.

Police and the Investigative Committee searched the apartment of opposition figure Avetik Chalabyan today and subsequently detained him. The Investigative Committee stated that Chalabyan was detained as part of a criminal case.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the Armenian opposition has previously repeatedly complained about the unjustified detention of its supporters. Earlier in Yerevan, displaced persons from Karabakh held a rally in support of Strong Armenia supporter Gevorg Khamoyan, who is accused of voter bribery. Participants noted that Khamoyan had provided charitable assistance to displaced persons from Karabakh several years ago. These people do not have Armenian citizenship, and Khamoyan himself was not yet a supporter of any party, they explained.

Security forces detained Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of the HayaQue union, early this morning, News.am reported, citing Chalabyan's associates.

In another publication, the newspaper cited a comment from Avetik Chalabyan's wife, Anahit Adamyan. According to her, eight people came to their home today at around 7:15 a.m. (6:15 a.m. Moscow time) – they were police and Investigative Committee officers. The Chalabyan family was sleeping. Security forces searched the apartment, found nothing, and seized Chalabyan's phone. He was then detained.

"This is obvious political persecution; you all see what's happening. This is happening to many in the opposition right now, so that in the near future, when the Constitutional Court considers appeals from opposition forces related to the elections, Avetik can be isolated for this period. "We have no other information at the moment; we are waiting for details regarding the charges," said Anahit Adamyan.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia confirmed Avetik Chalabyan's detention. "Chalabyan has been detained as part of a criminal case being investigated by the Investigative Committee," Investigative Committee Press Secretary Kima Avdalyan was quoted as saying by Novosti Armenia news agency today.

She did not provide any further details, noting that the agency would issue an official statement soon.

As a reminder, on May 14, 2022, Avetik Chalabyan was arrested for two months in connection with an attempted bribery of the chairman of the student council of the Agrarian University in Yerevan in order to mobilize students for protests. On December 21, 2023, The court found Chalabyan guilty and banned him from participating in or organizing protests for two and a half years, as well as from leaving his place of residence without permission from a supervisory authority. The defense called the case politically motivated and announced that it would appeal the court's verdict. Chalabyan's case is fabricated; the authorities want to intimidate protesters, noted human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan.

The "Caucasian Knot" also reported that the election campaign in Armenia was tense, with repeated reports of mass detentions of opposition members and their supporters. Security forces confirmed the initiation of dozens of criminal cases. Searches were also conducted at the headquarters of the "Strong Armenia" party. "Prosperous Armenia" stated that 50 of its supporters were detained on June 7 alone.

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