A heated political exchange was followed by detention and criminal charges
On 18 May 2026, during an election campaign meeting of the ruling Civil Contract party in Yerevan’s Arabkir district, a heated exchange took place between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Arthur Osipyan, a civil-political activist from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Following the exchange, Osipyan was removed from the meeting venue and detained.
The statements made during the incident, as well as Osipyan’s related social media posts, reportedly included harsh and confrontational language. However, civil society has noted that the exchange concerned matters of public and political interest, including allegations and criticism related to corruption and governance in Artsakh preceding its surrender. At the same time, the Prime Minister’s reaction was outrageous and sharp in tone, using offensive and abusive language against Osipyan.
Following the incident, criminal proceedings were initiated against Osipyan. According to the official statement of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, he was charged under several provisions of the Criminal Code, including public calls for violence or public justification or propaganda of violence, hooliganism, and obstruction of campaign activities. Subsequently, the court ordered Osipyan’s two-month pre-trial detention, imposing a ban on visits and communication with the external world.
According to civil society, the statements fall within the scope of political criticism
Akanates observation mission, human rights organisations, public figures, and representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh civil society have publicly expressed their concerns regarding the case, noting that, while Osipyan’s statements may have been harsh, they should be viewed within the framework of political criticism. In their assessment, the statements could, if necessary, be examined in the context of civil-law remedies related to insult or defamation, rather than through serious criminal charges. CSOs have warned that the use of pre-trial detention as a preventive measure, appears aimed at restricting and punishing Osipyan’s public and critical speech and civic activity, rather than pursuing legitimate aims prescribed by law.
They have argued that the available circumstances do not reasonably justify qualification of the statements as hooliganism, obstruction of campaigning, or public calls for violence. They have also raised concerns that the investigative authorities and the court failed to apply the principles of legality, proportionality and rule of law in assessing the case.
The case raises concerns over the criminalisation of political speech and selective justice
The case is particularly concerning from the perspective of freedom of expression, as political speech enjoys a high level of protection under democratic standards (as highlighted for example in the joint declaration of several international institutions). Public officials, especially senior political leaders, are expected to tolerate a higher degree of criticism, including speech that may be provocative, harsh, or disturbing.
The use of criminal prosecution and pre-trial detention in response to a confrontational political exchange may have a chilling effect on public debate. This is especially sensitive in the pre-election context, where citizens, activists and civil society representatives must be able to express criticism of political leaders and ruling parties without fear of disproportionate sanctions.
The incident also raises broader concerns about selective or politically motivated use of criminal law against outspoken critics. These concerns are reinforced by the fact that, while criminal proceedings were initiated against Osipyan, no comparable examination appears to have been launched in relation to the Prime Minister’s own harsh response, as well as any other incidents of inappropriate language by the officials.
Osipyan has been on hunger strike since his detention in protest against the charges, which he has described as politically motivated. He refused to meet the Ombudman’s representative, while the civil society’s prison monitoring group cannot visit him due to the ban of visits. This makes the situation especially urgent from a humanitarian and human rights perspective.
A number of CSOs condemn the detention of Osipyan in a joint statement and urge the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and international organisations to call on the Armenian Government to release Artur Osipyan immediately.