Armenia’s Chief Investigator Defends Pashinyan’s Threats to Bring Rivals to Their Knees as Opposition Condemns Double Standard

Armenia’s top investigative official defended Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday over threats he made against opposition leaders during the parliamentary election campaign, even as authorities face accusations of prosecuting government critics for similar remarks.

Artur Poghosyan, head of the Investigative Committee, told lawmakers that Pashinyan’s statements did not constitute a criminal offense, despite complaints from opposition figures who accused the prime minister of threatening political rivals.

The controversy dates to the campaign ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections, when Pashinyan repeatedly clashed with citizens who confronted him during public appearances in Yerevan.

One confrontation involved the sister of a senior military medic who went missing during the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan accused her of having ties to his main political opponents and threatened to bring opposition leaders to their knees and “take them out.”

The remarks prompted a complaint from a senior representative of the opposition Strong Armenia bloc, who asked prosecutors to investigate possible incitement to violence and hate speech.

The Prosecutor General’s Office referred the complaint to the Investigative Committee, which declined to open a criminal case.

The decision came under scrutiny Tuesday when Anna Grigoryan, parliamentary leader of the opposition Hayastan alliance, confronted Poghosyan during a National Assembly hearing.

“If one citizen of Armenia says to another, ‘I’m going to take you out, I’m going to force you to your knees,’ does this constitute a criminal offense or not?” Grigoryan asked.

“In my opinion, there are no elements of a crime in the prime minister’s statements,” Poghosyan replied.

Grigoryan challenged that assessment, pointing to criminal charges brought against a man who made similar threats against Pashinyan on social media after the prime minister’s campaign remarks.

She accused the Investigative Committee of applying different legal standards depending on whether the alleged threats targeted the government or its opponents.

Poghosyan said investigators consider the circumstances of each case, including the person involved, the timing and the setting, before deciding whether a crime has been committed.

“That’s what jurisprudence is all about,” he said. “It’s a very interesting science.”

The exchange comes months after the arrests of two prominent opposition leaders following the parliamentary elections.

Former President Robert Kocharyan, who heads the Hayastan alliance, and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan were arrested in the weeks after the vote. Both deny wrongdoing and say the charges against them are politically motivated.

Pashinyan continued his attacks on opposition leaders after the election, while his political opponents accused the government of using criminal investigations to silence its critics.

Tuesday’s confrontation highlighted a central complaint from Armenia’s opposition: that law enforcement authorities are willing to prosecute threats against the prime minister while dismissing similar language when it comes from Pashinyan himself.

—

Support independent reporting from the region by subscribing to The Armenian Report. Our team is funded solely by readers like you.