Preliminary investigation completed in Avetik Chalabyan case over alleged preparation to obstruct voting rights
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The preliminary investigation into criminal proceedings concerning the alleged preparation by a group of individuals to obstruct the exercise of electoral rights has been completed with regard to Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of the Hayakve initiative.
The Investigative Committee of Armenia announced the development in a statement.
“As previously reported, within the framework of criminal proceedings being investigated by the Main Department for the Investigation of Crimes Against the State, the Foundations of the Constitutional Order and Public Security of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, apparent factual data were obtained indicating that Chalabyan, acting as coordinator of the Hayakve initiative, sought to obstruct the free exercise of electoral rights by persons eligible to vote in Armenia’s parliamentary elections held on June 7, 2026.
According to the investigation, on February 4, 2026, Chalabyan met with representatives of a foreign state at a café in Yerevan. During the meeting, he allegedly sought to persuade them, while appealing to their interest in securing the victory of a political force of their choice in the parliamentary elections, to act as part of a group and by prior agreement, using their official powers or the influence arising from those powers, to obstruct the free exercise of voting rights by Armenian citizens eligible to vote.
Specifically, he allegedly urged them, through owners of organisations operating in the foreign state, to compel Armenian citizens employed by those organisations and eligible to vote to travel to Armenia and vote in favour of the Strong Armenia alliance in the parliamentary elections held on June 7, 2026. According to the investigation, the representatives of the foreign state agreed to the proposal.
As a result of investigative and procedural actions, the person allegedly responsible for the offence was identified. By decision of the supervising prosecutor, public criminal prosecution was initiated against Chalabyan under Article 43-210, Part 2, Clauses 5 and 6 of the Criminal Code, on charges of preparation, by a group acting by prior agreement, to obstruct the exercise of electoral rights through the use of official authority or influence arising from such authority.
Detention was imposed on Chalabyan as a preventive measure.
The criminal case against him has been forwarded to the supervising prosecutor together with the indictment,” the statement said.
Notice: A person charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code by a court judgment that has entered into legal force.