OMM Newsroom
Armenian authorities have detained 10 more people in an election bribery investigation linked to the opposition Strong Armenia party, two days before local elections in the city of Stepanavan, Lori Province.
According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, 24 people are now charged over allegations of bribing voters. AnewZ reported the information, citing News.am. Local elections in Stepanavan are scheduled for October 25.
The latest detentions followed searches on October 21 at Strong Armenia’s office in Stepanavan. Fourteen people were detained at the time. The Investigative Committee accused the party’s candidates and people connected to them of offering bribes to voters in exchange for support. The committee also released covertly recorded footage that it said supported the allegations.
On Thursday, the Anti-Corruption Court ordered Arsen Gevorgyan, Strong Armenia’s candidate for mayor of Stepanavan, to be held in custody for two months. Ten of the 14 initially detained, including Gevorgyan and five candidates for the municipal council, have been placed in custody or under house arrest.
Opposition accuses authorities of interference
Anshanik Gevorgyan, a Strong Armenia lawmaker, called the authorities’ actions “beyond reason.”
Daniel Ioannisyan, a representative of the civil society group Union of Informed Citizens, accused members of the ruling Civil Contract party of trying to win the election without competition by using administrative resources.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not directly respond to the criticism. He urged voters not to support candidates who use pressure, intimidation or election bribery, and asked them to report such cases to him or law enforcement agencies.
Stepanavan is one of the few communities in the current local elections where Strong Armenia, the largest opposition party in parliament, has nominated a candidate.
Separate criminal case against Samvel Karapetyan
Strong Armenia is led by Russian-born Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. His supporters founded the party in January 2026. It won just over 23% of the vote in parliamentary elections held in June, finishing second to Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party.
Karapetyan was arrested in June 2025 on charges of openly calling for the seizure of power. Earlier, he had accused the government of conducting a campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church and said he would intervene “in his own way.” Authorities described the remarks as a threat. Karapetyan was later transferred from prison to house arrest.
Karapetyan denies the charges, while his lawyers say the prosecution is unlawful. His lawyer, Lianna Gasparyan, said the alleged offense is punishable under Armenian criminal law only by a fine and community service. She said the request for pretrial detention “shows that the entire process is unlawful.”
The government rejects allegations that it is targeting the church. Pashinyan has accused Catholicos Karekin II and other senior clergy of breaking their vows of celibacy and called for the election of a new church leader. He has said these steps are necessary for national security.
