No criminal case over Pashinyan campaign statements

PanARMENIAN.Net - Statements made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about his political opponents will not result in legal consequences. The Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed the legality of an investigator’s decision not to initiate criminal proceedings, Factor.am reports.

During the election campaign on May 18, Pashinyan, in two separate exchanges with Artsakh public figure Artur Osipyan and physician Arpine Soghomonyan, made remarks directed at former Armenian presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan, as well as Samvel Karapetyan and Gagik Tsarukyan, leaders of political forces participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Following those statements, Aram Vardevanyan, a parliamentary candidate from the Strong Armenia alliance and a lawyer, submitted a report to law enforcement authorities.

However, the Investigative Committee concluded that Pashinyan’s remarks did not contain elements of a criminal offense and adopted a decision not to open proceedings. The decision was subsequently forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office for a review of its legality.

The election campaign, which began on May 8, will continue until June 5. June 6 will be a day of silence, and the elections will take place on June 7. On May 25, the Alliance Progressive Centrist Party announced its withdrawal from the race. Based on its application, the Central Electoral Commission annulled the registration of the party’s electoral list. As a result, ballot number 13 will not appear in the upcoming elections.