Open Letter / Statement

Demanding the Release of Artur Osipyan
Addressed to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, Anna Vardapetyan

We, the undersigned civil society organizations and individuals, strongly condemn the ongoing unlawful, unfounded and politically motivated criminal prosecution of Artur Osipyan, as well as his detention, which is being used as a form of punishment.

On 18 May 2026, during Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pre-election campaign activities and interactions with citizens in the streets of Yerevan, Artur Osipyan, a person forcibly displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), approached the Prime Minister and began publicly posing critical questions and expressing his views on the negotiation process around the Artsakh conflict and the developments that took place in Artsakh. The exchange gradually became highly emotional for both sides, after which the Prime Minister responded by making insulting and degrading remarks about Osipyan.

Artur Osipyan was swiftly removed from the area by the police and arrested. According to the official statement of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, criminal proceedings were initiated against Osipyan on charges of hooliganism, obstruction of pre-election campaigning, and public calls for violence. Furthermore, by decision of the Criminal Court of First Instance of Yerevan, pre-trial detention for a period of two months was imposed on Osipyan as a measure of restraint while also imposing restrictions on visits and communication with the outside world.

The questions raised by Artur Osipyan and the concerns he voiced, including his other public actions, his engagement with matters of public interest, and his social media post, fall within the protection of the right to freedom of expression as critical speech. The subsequent actions taken against him constitute an abuse of power and an attempt to silence a citizen through authoritarian instruments.

The criminal prosecution initiated against him and his detention are contrary to Armenia’s human rights obligations and pose a serious threat to the protection of democratic freedoms, political pluralism, and freedom of expression in Armenia. Such practices deal a significant blow to the independence of the law enforcement system, as well as to its public standing and credibility.

We are deeply concerned about Artur Osipyan’s health condition, as he has been on hunger strike for 15 days and, according to his lawyer, is already severely weakened. Moreover, in Nubarashen Penitentiary Institution, he is being held in a damp cell without access to sunlight, which contradicts internationally accepted standards for the detention conditions of persons on hunger strike and gives rise to substantiated concerns of inhuman treatment against Artur Osipyan.

Taking into account the above, the guarantees for the protection of human rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the obligations arising from the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, as well as Armenia’s international human rights obligations, including the imperative to ensure the right to freedom of expression, the right to liberty, and the right not to be subjected to inhuman treatment, we demand the following:

From the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, Anna Vardapetyan:

• Immediately revoke the pre-trial detention applied against Artur Osipyan.

• Terminate the criminal prosecution against him guaranteeing all his fundamental rights and freedoms.

Protection of Rights without Borders NGO

Human Rights Research Center

Community Mobilization Consolidation and Support Center NGO

Helsinki Association for Human Rights NGO

Law Development and Protection Foundation

Transparency International Anticorruption Center NGO

Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly

Dignity NGO

Armenian Committee of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly

Regional Centre for Democracy and Security

Foundation for Democracy Development

Armenian Progressive Youth NGO

Public Journalism Club

New Culture of Justice NGO

Journalists for Human Rights NGO

Urban Imagination Sociological Research Laboratory NGO

Armenian Climate Justice Initiative   “We” Youth NGO of Lori region

Rights Center NGO

Progress of Gyumri CSDC NGO

MITK NGO

Vardan Harutyunayan, human rights defender

Oleg Dulgaryan, human rights defender, environmentalist

Artur Papyan, Yerevan Press Club

Boris Navasardyan, Yerevan Press Club

Nouneh Sargsyan, media expert

Inga Zarafyan, Ecolour NGO

Gegham Baghdasaryan, Stepanakert Media Club

Susanna Shahnazaryan, Goris LAB

Mariam Chakhoyan, Tukhmanuk NGO

Misak Khostikyan, architect

Narine Abgaryan, writer

Lala Aslikyan, RA citizen

Iszabella Sargsyan, human rights defender

Sarine Hayriyan, journalist

Artur Grigoryan, environmental lawyer

Siranush Gasparyan, opera singer

Apres Zohrabyan, orientalist

Melina Nadaryan, lawyer

Anna Pambukchyan, media expert

Karine Harutyunyan, journalist

Arman Karakhanyan, photographer

Ashot Khachatryan, RA citizen

Shogher Matevosyan, journalist

Hasmik Simonyan, poet

Nare Shavinyan, journalist

Zara Budaghyan, RA citizen

Ester Hakobyan, RA citizen

Gayane Shagoyan, cultural anthropologist

Aram Gasparyan, historian

Ararat Zoryan, photographer

Tatevik Poghpatyan, anthropologist

Ruzanna Khachatryan, journalist

Nazenik Saroyan, journalist

Ruzanna Bagratunyan, RA citizen

Karen Tovmasyan, journalist

Lyudmila Barseghyan, RA citizen

Naira Sahakyan, Historian and Islamic Studies Scholar

Gagik Karapetyan, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Programmer

Tatevik Tatulyan, sociologist

Zaruhi Muradyan, artist

Hakob Tchagharyan, commander pilot

Ruben Malayan, artist

Sona Gevorgayn, sociologist

Narine Gizhlaryan, translator, editor

Rob Manukyan, translator, journalist, editor

Marina Hovsepyan, architect

Eviya Hovhannisyan, social anthropologist

Davit Matevosyan, director of Hrant Matevosyan Foundation

Arshavir Ghukasyan, RA citizen

Gevorg Makhsudyan, engineer

Natalya Tsaturyan, medical doctor

Arevik Sargsyan, RA citizen

Irina Avetisyan, translator

Haykaz Avetisyan, IT expert

Margarita Avetisyan, ordinator surgeon

Ruben Muradyan, Cybersecurity expert

Meri Musinyan, journalist

Ovsanna Yeghoyan, RA citizen

Ani Gevorgyan, photographer

Serine Aghabekyan, RA citizen

Anush Shahramanyan, lawyer

Melanya Tsarukyan, journalist

Carolina Sahakyan, orientalist, specialist in turkic studies

Hayk Nazaryan, IT consultant, Germany

Artur Atayan, musician

Khachatur Avetisyan, public health specialist

Irina Grigoryan, teacher

Ashot Gharagyozyan, RA citizen

Valen Hovsepian, phylologist, YSU

Davit Mheryan, RA citizen

Kristine Armenakyan, journalist

Anna Nikoghosyan, feminist scholar

Svetlana Galstyan, teacher

Elza Arakelyan, teacher

Ashot Melkonyan, artist

Ruzan Kazaryan, environmentalist

Levon Chukaklyan, political scientist

Jivan Nadaryan, lawyer

Styopa Asryan, public health specialist

Hasmik Mkhitaryan, journalist

Harutyun Tsatryan, journalist

Tigran Zakaryan, historian

Vahe Khachikyan, RA citizen

Luiza Simonyan, teacher

Andranik Grigoryan, political scientist