Editor-in-chief of the Hraparak newspaper charged with publicly  calling for violent change of power in Armenia

ArmInfo.  Armine Ohanyan, editor-in-chief of the Hraparak newspaper, has been summoned to the Investigative Committee (IC) of Armenia. A criminal case has been opened against her for publicly calling for a violent change of power in Armenia.

According to the Hraparak newspaper, the charges stem from an  editorial written in December 2024, which, according to the  Investigative Committee of Armenia, contains "public calls for a  violent change of power in the country." "Article 422 of the Armenian  Criminal Code (criminalizing public calls for the violent seizure of  power, alteration of the constitutional order, or territorial  integrity) has become a lifeline for the authorities and is now the  primary tool of political persecution," the newspaper stated in this  regard.  Mane Tandilyan, co-founder of the Country for Life party,  commented on the situation on her Facebook page. She condemned the  criminal case against the newspaper's editor-in-chief, noting that it  constitutes an attack on freedom of speech in Armenia.

"The fears of the Armenian authorities are having an irreversible  impact on our society, in this case, on freedom of speech. This is a  consistent attempt to restrict freedom of speech by declaring any  expression of it a 'public call for the seizure of power and the  violent overthrow of the constitutional order.' Essentially,  materials written many years ago are suddenly becoming the subject of  criminal prosecution," Tandilyan noted. As an example, she recalled  how the Primate of the Shirak Diocese, Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhian,  was similarly persecuted for statements he made in an interview  several years ago. "I express my unconditional support for Armine  Ohanyan. I am confident that all fabricated charges will not stand up  to the editor's unwavering determination, who has made freedom of  speech her professional credo," Tandilyan concluded.

On March 16, the editor-in-chief of Hraparak reported that she had  been summoned to the Investigative Committee of Armenia and promised  to later provide the reasons for her summons to the investigative  body.