Armenian opposition lawmaker gets detained over allegations to overthrow government
(MENAFN) An Armenian court has ordered the pretrial detention of opposition lawmaker Artur Sarkisyan on charges of participating in an alleged conspiracy to carry out a violent overthrow of the government. The move comes amid what critics describe as an escalating clampdown by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration on dissenting voices.
Sarkisyan, affiliated with the nationalist Dashnaktsutyun party, was remanded for two months on Wednesday — a day after Armenia’s parliament lifted his legal immunity. He has denied the allegations, claiming they distort his role in ongoing anti-government protests.
Mass demonstrations have gripped Armenia since 2024, many of them linked to the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). Protesters have accused the Pashinyan government of betraying national interests in negotiations with Azerbaijan, Armenia's historical adversary.
In recent weeks, authorities have detained two bishops of the AAC and prominent businessman Samvel Karapetyan, alleging their involvement in the same coup plot. The government has also initiated the nationalization of Karapetyan’s energy enterprises.
On Thursday, law enforcement raided properties associated with Dashnaktsutyun leaders, detaining Arsen Martoyan, who heads the party’s Yerevan branch, as well as the son of opposition MP Gegam Manukyan.
The Kremlin has labeled the unrest an internal Armenian matter and declined to intervene but noted that Moscow would provide legal assistance to Karapetyan — a Russian dual national — if he requests it. An Armenian appeals court this week upheld his pretrial detention order, first issued in mid-July.
Prime Minister Pashinyan, who rose to power following mass protests in 2018 that led to the resignation of former leader Serzh Sargsyan, faces mounting opposition as his term nears its conclusion. New parliamentary elections are expected next summer.
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