Armenian election commission rejects appeal to deregister main opposition group
Armenia’s Central Elections Commission has rejected an appeal to revoke the registration of the opposition Strong Armenia alliance, a day before key parliamentary elections.
The group founded by the Russian–Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan has for months been polling second to the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party, and is widely seen as being the government’s main challenger.
The late-night ruling in the early hours of Saturday morning came in response to an appeal on Friday by representatives of the Republic Party, a minor opposition group that has worked closely with Civil Contract. In 2023, the two entered into a governing coalition in the Yerevan City Council after no party secured a majority in the city council elections.
Republic Party leader Aram Sargsyan announced his intention to appeal to the CEC to bar Strong Armenia during the final televised debate between candidates on Thursday.
‘We will see what they do — whether their judicial system will act on it, or whether the Prime Minister will once again shift the blame onto the judicial system and say that, well, all of that has not been reformed’, Sargsyan said.
It came after he challenged Pashinyan over why the authorities had not sought to revoke Strong Armenia’s registration themselves, despite allegations of widespread vote buying by the party.
Pashinyan said he would not do so himself as it would prompt accusations the government was afraid of losing the elections, and instead encouraged others to apply to the CEC if they believed such action was warranted.
‘I urge you to apply as a matter of urgency tomorrow morning’, he said.
Since early May, authorities have almost daily announced new criminal investigations into alleged vote buying, prohibited charitable activity during the campaign period, and other election-related offences, mostly involving representatives of Strong Armenia. Authorities have published wiretapped recordings publicly as evidence of the allegations.
The latest case was launched earlier in June against Alik Aleksanyan, a senior member of Karapetyan’s alliance. As part of the investigation, 37 people have been placed under investigation, while law enforcement officers conducted raids on Friday at Armat Media, which is affiliated with the alliance.
Authorities accuse Aleksanyan of money laundering and paying people to attend political rallies linked to Karapetyan and his alliance during 2025–2026.
Strong Armenia has denied distributing bribes.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Samvel Karapetyan, a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, was largely uninvolved in politics before entering the scene in June 2025.
His engagement in formal politics came after he was arrested over remarks he made in defence of the Armenian Apostolic Church, amidst escalating tensions between the Church and Pashinyan’s government. Authorities swiftly charged him with calling for the usurpation of power, while later adding separate money laundering charges.
Karapetyan has also been widely seen as the favoured candidate of Russia, which has been accused of attempting to influence the vote in his favour.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Although named as the alliance’s candidate for prime minister, Karapetyan is constitutionally barred from the post due to holding citizenship of another country. Even so, the alliance has pledged to change the constitution if elected to pave the way for his candidacy.
