Journalist Who Exposed Alleged Election Violations Ordered to Military Training One Day After Vote

An Armenian journalist who spent the country’s parliamentary election campaign documenting alleged abuses by the ruling party was ordered to report for military reserve training just one day after the vote, raising fresh concerns among press freedom advocates about possible retaliation against critical reporting.

Narek Khachatryan, a reporter for NEWS.am, received a notice requiring him to participate in a 25-day military training exercise shortly after covering a series of alleged election-related violations involving the ruling Civil Contract party.

The timing has sparked questions in Armenia's media community, particularly given Khachatryan’s prominent role in investigating incidents that drew public attention during the campaign.

On election day, Khachatryan reported from the village of Sotk in eastern Armenia, where he filmed what he described as the arrival of hundreds of military personnel at a polling station shortly before voting closed. His footage also showed several unidentified individuals in civilian clothing accompanying servicemen inside the polling station and remaining there despite having no visible accreditation or official status.

When questioned by the journalist, local election officials were unable to provide a clear explanation for the individuals’ presence. According to the footage, the civilians left the voting area only after Khachatryan repeatedly raised concerns, though they remained within the polling station grounds near groups of soldiers awaiting their turn to vote.

Shortly after the video was published, NEWS.am said it received a call from Armenia’s Ministry of Defense while Khachatryan was covering vote counting at another polling station. According to the outlet, ministry officials relayed a complaint from an officer stationed in Sotk alleging that the journalist had been “interfering” with the work of election officials.

https://youtu.be/XBH7JVMQqQc?si=PhHOTF6Boc8FQtFh

The incident raised further questions because election-related complaints are typically handled by electoral authorities or law enforcement agencies rather than the Defense Ministry.

Within hours of that call, Khachatryan was summoned to a military commissariat, where he was formally notified that he would be required to attend upcoming reserve training exercises.

The journalist had also been responsible for one of the campaign’s most widely discussed investigations. During ruling party campaign events in Aragatsotn Province, he documented schools reportedly suspending classes and organizing transportation for teachers, school staff, and students to attend political rallies.

The footage, which included interviews with educators describing the arrangements, generated significant public debate. Authorities later announced that the principals of four schools had submitted resignation letters, a move widely interpreted as acknowledgment of misconduct involving the use of administrative resources during the campaign.

NEWS.am argues that it was after those reports that Khachatryan came under increased scrutiny from state authorities.

The journalist himself has rejected suggestions that military service should be viewed as punishment. Having previously completed mandatory service and served in Artsakh, he said he would comply with the order and participate in the exercises.

“For someone who served in Artsakh, participating in a 25-day military training exercise is not a punishment—it is an honor,” Khachatryan wrote on Facebook.

The controversy, however, extends beyond one journalist.

In an editorial statement, NEWS.am emphasized its longstanding support for military service, noting that one of its employees is currently participating in similar exercises and recalling the sacrifice of the outlet’s late cameraman, Vahe Karapetyan, who was killed while fighting during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

The outlet argued that the core issue is not military training itself, but the perception that state institutions may be using compulsory service mechanisms against journalists who expose alleged wrongdoing.

Media advocates say the case shows broader concerns about the treatment of independent journalists during and after Armenia’s closely watched parliamentary elections. They warn that if military obligations can be perceived as tools of pressure against critical reporting, it risks undermining public confidence in both democratic institutions and the armed forces.

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