Prosecutor: 282 reports of possible violations hindering electoral  processes received

ArmInfo. According to the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia, 282 reports of possible violations hindering the electoral process have been registered since the start of the parliamentary elections in Armenia as of 8:00 AM on  June 7, 2026. This was reported by Tsovak Mnatsakanyan, Senior Prosecutor of the Department for Supervision of Pre-Trial Legality at the Anti- Corruption Committee of the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia, at a meeting of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on June 7.

According to him, criminal cases have been initiated based on 165 of  these reports, and public prosecutions have been initiated against  252 individuals. "Fourteen criminal cases against 42 individuals were  sent to the competent court with approved indictments. Petitions were  filed with the Central Election Commission to initiate criminal  prosecution and obtain consent for imprisonment against 12  parliamentary candidates. Of these, 11 petitions were granted, and a  decision on one case is expected soon," Mnatsakanyan explained.

The Anti-Corruption Committee, the prosecutor continued, had  registered 195 reports of possible crimes obstructing the electoral  process as of the specified time. Of these, he said, criminal  proceedings were not initiated in 32 cases, and eight reports were  forwarded to the Anti-Corruption Committee for review and preparation  of a criminal report if sufficient information was received. "The  National Security Service (NSS), in turn, received one report of a  crime, which was also forwarded to the Anti-Corruption Committee for  a decision on initiating a criminal case. Currently, 99 criminal  cases have been opened. Investigative operations are underway in 61  of these cases, and two reports have been sent to the police of the  Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia," Mnatsakanyan noted.

The prosecutor specified that the 99 registered criminal cases  contain 465 offenses, of which 213 relate to bribery and complicity,  184 relate to bribery and complicity, six relate to bribery  solicitations, 38 relate to violations of the ban on charitable  donations during elections, 15 relate to obstructing the free  exercise of electoral rights, and nine relate to material coercion  for participation in public gatherings. "Public criminal prosecution  was initiated against 224 individuals, of whom 96 are accused of  bribery and complicity, 107 of receiving a bribe and complicity, 15  of violating the ban on charity, and 6 of financially inviting people  to participate in meetings or obstructing the free exercise of  electoral rights," the prosecutor explained.

As Mnatsakanyan noted, 44 defendants have been remanded in custody,  while 21 have been placed under house arrest. "Six petitions seeking  approval to initiate criminal prosecution and imprisonment against  candidates for parliament have been submitted to the Central Election  Commission, five of which have been granted, and one petition is  still pending. One candidate has been placed on the wanted list; his  whereabouts are currently unknown. Indictments in nine criminal cases  against 33 individuals have been submitted to the competent court. A  petition for approval to initiate criminal prosecution and  imprisonment against six candidates has been submitted to the Central  Election Commission, all of which have been granted," the prosecutor  said.

As of 8:00 AM on June 7, 2026, the Investigative Committee,  Mnatsakanyan continued, had registered 87 reports of crimes related  to obstructing electoral processes. Of these, the prosecutor  explained, criminal proceedings were initiated based on 66 reports,  and public prosecutions were initiated against 28 individuals. "14  are accused of obstructing election campaigning, one of hooliganism,  three of blackmail and coercion to participate in assemblies, two of  obstructing the exercise of electoral rights, and eight of coercing  others to participate in assemblies. Arrest was imposed on nine  individuals, and house arrest was imposed on 10," Mnatsakanyan  concluded.

As a reminder, Armenia is holding parliamentary elections on June 7.  2,500 polling stations opened across the country at 8:00 AM local  time. Most of them are equipped with surveillance cameras.

According to the Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal  Affairs of Armenia, just over 2.5 million citizens are eligible to  vote. Voter turnout as of 2:00 PM was 33.84%. Eighteen political  forces-two blocs and 16 parties-are participating in the elections.  Among the front-runners are incumbent Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan's Civil Contract party, businessman Samvel Karapetyan's  Strong Armenia bloc, second president Robert Kocharyan's Armenia  bloc, and businessman Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia party.  Since early morning, observers and journalists have reported numerous  violations during the voting process.