Armenian authorities summon woman for online comment that ‘calls for violence’ against Pashinyan

On Tuesday, News.am reported that a woman identified only as Vera, 34, was summoned to the Investigative Committee for a comment she left under an article on a news website regarding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The Investigative Committee confirmed to OC Media that a criminal case had been launched against her.

According to Vera’s husband, whose name was not disclosed, the comment said, ‘whoever will hand over the territories belonging to Armenia, let their hands be cut off’.

She received a summons on Monday, and the next day she appeared before the Investigative Committee for questioning, and her phone was reportedly confiscated.

Vera’s husband suggested that the authorities had pressed charges to set an example and scare others into silence.

‘It’s not like my wife did anything — she just wrote a comment. You can’t violate someone’s right to free speech’, said the husband, calling it a violation of human rights.

News.am additionally quoted Vera’s husband as saying that his wife’s comment did not contain any calls for violence and did not imply any concrete action.

Nonetheless, the authorities launched a preliminary investigation.

The spokesperson of the Investigative Committee confirmed to OC Media that the criminal case ‘has been initiated in connection with the incident of writing a comment containing public calls for violence, public justification and promotion of violence’.

If charged and found guilty, the woman could face up to three years of imprisonment.

As reported by News.am, the woman is from the Kotayk region, currently living in Yerevan with her family. She is a mother of two toddlers.

From 2020-2023, 38 criminal cases under the same article of public calls for violence reached the courts, the Armenian investigative media outlet Hetq.am reported in January 2024.

Of these, 36 cases — or around 95% — relate to calls directed at Pashinyan, his team, and supporters, with 68% specifically involving calls directed at Pashinyan himself.

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