Karapetyan: One of the most important conclusions of PACE on the elections in Armenia is the recognition of pressure on the state apparatus by the Armenian authorities

Arminfo.  One of the most important conclusions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) regarding the elections in Armenia is the recognition that pressure was exerted on the state apparatus by the Armenian authorities, as well as the illegality of the Central Electoral Commission’s decision to annul the results at three polling stations, as a result of which the Prosperous Armenia Party (PPA) was deprived of the threshold required to enter the legislative body. This was stated on his Facebook page by Narek Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia faction in the Armenian parliament.

"The PACE report noted several important points regarding the parliamentary elections in Armenia. That there was pressure throughout the entire state apparatus, that the PPA’s votes were stolen, and that this decision by Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission was qualified as illegal. In addition, the European Parliament noted that Armenia’s Public Television and other resources were used solely to serve the ruling Civil Contract party, which was qualified as illegal," Karapetyan further noted.

According to him, conclusions were also drawn regarding electoral bribes, and it was noted that while opposition members were imprisoned for giving electoral bribes, representatives of the ruling force bore no responsibility for the same act.  "Moreover, the detention of opposition members for bribery was qualified as an instrument of pressure on the opposition forces in the country," Karapetyan further explained.

He called the PACE conclusions on the Armenian elections momentous for Armenia’s democracy, since the myth of it being a "bastion of democracy" was debunked.

The report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the parliamentary elections in Armenia held on 7 June 2026 recorded a number of violations by the Civil Contract party.

Thus, according to the published report, widespread public polarization and mass protests during the elections created a tense domestic political situation in the country. According to the source, an additional factor contributing to polarization was the unusually tense relationship between the government and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church, as well as criminal prosecutions, including pre-trial detention, against a number of prominent opposition figures and religious leaders. Attention is drawn to amendments to the Electoral Code hastily adopted by the ruling force, contrary to the Venice Commission’s recommendations regarding the stability of electoral legislation. It is noted that the election campaign period was characterized by sharp polarization, aggressive rhetoric and repeated allegations of violations, up to and including direct threats against opposition candidates and the coercion of state apparatus representatives to attend rallies of Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling force.

At the same time, attention is drawn to the fact that in recent years there has been wider use of law enforcement mechanisms against opposition candidates and activists, as well as the mass initiation of criminal cases over electoral bribery, almost all of which concerned the opposition or business representatives associated with the opposition. At the same time, attention is drawn to the fact that at the time the report was prepared, there were virtually no convictions in such cases.