Lawyer draws parallels between Pashinyan`s initiative to increase  pensions ahead of parliamentary elections and  criminal prosecution  of  elderly woman in Gyumri

ArmInfo. Lawyer Ruben Melikyan has drawn  parallels between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's pension increase ahead of the upcoming parliamentary  elections and an incident that occurred during the Gyumri Council of  Elders elections, when an elderly woman was accused of accepting an  election bribe simply for agreeing to have water installed in her  home.

Recall, on March 30, 2025, during the Gyumri municipal elections,  Armenian law enforcement officers detained 75-year-old grandmother  named Kima on suspicion of election fraud in favor of an opposition  candidate. The lawyer stated on his Facebook page that Kima is still  under investigation simply for wanting running water at her home and,  according to the prosecutor's office, "having agreed to the  installation of running water." In this regard, he questioned how, in  this case, one can characterize Pashinyan's announcement about  increasing pensions in the country by 10,000 drams starting April 1  ahead of the parliamentary elections in June, which was not included  in the country's 2026 state budget.

"Isn't this election bribery? Isn't Grandma Kima being accused of the  same thing? The fact that pensions in our country are shamefully low  is beyond doubt. However, their increase should not be perceived as  election bribery," Melikyan concluded.

Earlier,  ArmInfo  reported that on February 25, Armenian Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced in a video address that pensions  would be increased starting April 1. According to him, relatively low  pensions will increase by 10,000 drams, while higher ones will  increase by a smaller amount. He noted that, taking into account  cashback, the increase will be even higher. Prime Minister attributed  this achievement to the strong economic growth in 2025, exceeding  forecasts.