Human rights defender Zhanna Aleksanyan argues that the political environment surrounding Armenia’s June elections prevented voters from expressing their will freely.
According to her, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that failing to secure a constitutional majority could expose the country to the risk of war had a significant impact on the election campaign.
Psychological Pressure on Voters
Aleksanyan believes such statements went beyond normal political campaigning.
She argues that telling voters their choice could determine whether the country faces war undermines the principle of free elections.
According to the human rights defender, elections cannot be considered genuinely free when conducted in an atmosphere of fear.
Pressure During the Campaign
Aleksanyan says the authorities relied on arrests, threats, and inflammatory rhetoric throughout the campaign.
She also points to the prime minister’s public statements, arguing that they contributed to growing political polarization.
In her view, offensive remarks directed at Armenians from Artsakh further increased social tensions.
Unequal Conditions for Political Parties
According to Aleksanyan, political parties did not compete on equal terms.
She claims the Strong Armenia party faced repeated pressure, detentions, and other actions that disrupted its campaign.
The human rights defender also argues that public officials created an impression of guilt in cases involving alleged vote-buying before any court verdicts had been issued, violating the principle of the presumption of innocence.
Questions About Institutional Independence
As an example, Aleksanyan refers to the prime minister’s public statement concerning Andranik Tevanyan.
She argues that announcing a future arrest before law enforcement acted raises questions about the independence of investigative institutions.