STATEMENT

regarding the unlawful and selective criminal prosecution of Arthur Osipyan

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, strongly condemn the evidently unlawful, unfounded, and politically motivated criminal prosecution and deprivation of liberty initiated against Arthur Osipyan on 19 May 2026. Particularly unlawful, disproportionate, and condemnable is the motion submitted to the court seeking detention as a preventive measure, which is being used for the purpose of restricting his public speech and activities and punishing him, rather than on the grounds prescribed by law.

According to the official statement disseminated by the Investigative Committee, public criminal prosecution has been initiated against him on charges of hooliganism, obstruction of election campaigning, and public calls for violence. The public criminal prosecution brought against him is unlawful and unfounded and contradicts the Republic of Armenia’s international obligations concerning the right to freedom of expression, including the principles developed through the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.

Arthur Osipyan’s publicly known actions, including his debate with Nikol Pashinyan, his engagement with and public discussion of matters of public importance, and his social media post, fall entirely within the protection of the right to freedom of expression as critical speech.

In this context, we once again record the practice of selective justice by law enforcement bodies — namely the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee — based on political expediency and aimed exclusively at protecting representatives of the ruling political party. Otherwise, criminal legal assessment would also have been given to the public statements of the ruling political party and personally of Nikol Pashinyan, which allegedly contain hate speech, public calls for violence, and threats, including calls for the torture of persons deprived of liberty, both in the context of the same episode and in relation to incidents that occurred in preceding days.

This once again highlights the lack of independence and impartiality within the law enforcement system in Armenia, dealing a significant blow to the public reputation and credibility of these bodies. Moreover, such practices undermine the development of state institutions in line with European principles.

Taking into consideration the abovementioned, we demand from the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee that they:

• Immediately release Arthur Osipyan from detention and terminate the criminal prosecution against him;

• Uphold high standards of independence and impartiality in the course of their activities, relying exclusively on the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and Armenia’s international human rights obligations;

• Refrain from unlawful or selective criminal prosecutions, including the unlawful and disproportionate use of criminal law instruments within the framework of the electoral process for the purpose of silencing criticism directed at the ruling political force.

Protection of Rights without Borders NGO

Journalists for Human Rights NGO

For Equal Rights NGO

Public Journalism Club NGO

MediaStep NGO

Armenian Committee of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly

Regional Centre for Democracy and Security

Human Rights Research Centre NGO

Yerevan Press Club

New Justice Culture NGO

Community Mobilization and Support Centre

Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly

Helsinki Association for Human Rights NGO