Investigators detail allegations against Chalabyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s Investigative Committee has stated that Hayakve coordinator Avetik Chalabyan traveled abroad in May 2026 and met with officials of another state, urging them to interfere with the free exercise of Armenian citizens’ electoral rights.

According to the committee, Chalabyan, acting as coordinator of the Hayakve movement, allegedly sought to obstruct the free exercise of voting rights in the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7, 2026.

The Investigative Committee claims that during meetings with foreign officials, he attempted to persuade and motivate them by emphasizing the prospect of securing victory for a political force favored by them. Investigators allege that he encouraged those officials, acting as a group and by prior agreement, to use their official authority and influence to interfere with the electoral rights of Armenian citizens eligible to vote in the June 7 elections.

According to the allegations, this was to be carried out through owners of businesses operating in the foreign state, who would allegedly pressure Armenian citizens employed by those companies to travel to Armenia and vote for the Strong Armenia alliance during the parliamentary elections. Investigators stated that an agreement on such actions had allegedly been reached.

The committee said that a forensic examination ordered during the investigation confirmed that the individual speaking in an audio recording circulated online was Chalabyan.

By decision of the supervising prosecutor, public criminal prosecution has been initiated against Chalabyan under Article 43-210, Part 2, Clauses 5 and 6 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, relating to preparation to obstruct the exercise of electoral rights by a group of persons acting by prior agreement through the use of official authority, influence or powers.

Chalabyan has been detained, and investigators have submitted a motion to the court seeking his pretrial detention. The investigation remains ongoing.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ioannisyan, head of the Union of Informed Citizens NGO, wrote on Facebook that the audio recording involving Chalabyan had been forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office as part of a previously submitted report.

According to Ioannisyan, in May, the Independent Observer initiative reported an alleged attempt by a group of Russian officials and several Armenian citizens to seize power in Armenia, after which a criminal case was launched.

He stated that after the recording involving Chalabyan became public, it was submitted to prosecutors as additional evidence.

“Subsequently, when Chalabyan’s recording was published, in which he pointed out to Russian representatives how they should influence Armenian voters residing in Russia, we forwarded it to the Prosecutor’s Office as a supplement to our report. Therefore, I assume that Avetik Chalabyan was detained on the basis of the facts we submitted,” Ioannisyan wrote.

He added that, in his view, all conscious participants in alleged Russian interference in Armenia’s elections should face trial.

In the early hours of June 24, Hayakve coordinator and public-political figure Avetik Chalabyan was detained. The court is currently considering the issue of a preventive measure in his case.