Armine Ohanyan, the editor-chief of the opposition-aligned tabloid Hraparak, is under investigation by Armenia’s Investigative Committee. This occurred following a summons on Tuesday related to a 2024 editorial penned by Arshaluys Barseghyan. The committee alleges the editorial contained public calls for violent power changes.
Hraparak reports that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government is attempting to silence free media ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections. Rumors have circulated suggesting that several editors from free media outlets could be targeted by law enforcement, with Armine Ohanyan expected to be among them due to her consistent criticism of the current authorities. Criminal proceedings were initiated under accusations of “public calls aimed at usurpation of power, violating territorial integrity, or violently overthrowing the constitutional order.” Similar charges have been leveled against other opposition figures, including tycoon Samvel Karapetyan.
Investigations began approximately a year prior, but Ohanyan only learned of them after the summons. Despite forensic linguistic and psychological examinations of the editorial, concluding it did not contain a call for violence, no formal charges have been filed. The Investigative Committee declined to comment.
Ohanyan expressed concern that the authorities are attempting to intimidate her, viewing their actions as “meaningless.” The case has sparked criticism, with some suggesting Pashinyan’s government is exhibiting “authoritarian” behavior. Simultaneously, Armenian authorities detained a Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian woman for a social media comment containing a call for violence against Pashinyan, highlighting a broader trend of similar criminal proceedings targeting online expression. Opposition figures have condemned these actions, alleging they represent a threat to Armenia’s democratic brand and freedom of speech.
Topics: #editor #chief #opposition
