An Armenian court has reclassified the charges against blogger Artak Avetisyan, who was detained for calling Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan a "traitor," changing the accusation from inciting violence to hooliganism.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the blogger's lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, shared this update on his social media account.
According to the lawyer, the social media post, which was previously categorized as "hate speech" and inciting violence, is now being treated as hooliganism by the prosecution. Melikyan argued that according to several rulings by the Court of Cassation of Armenia, hooliganism charges typically apply to personal disputes, and applying them to political statements contradicts established legal precedent in the country. He warned that this approach could lead to any political statement being arbitrarily classified as hooliganism.
The incident occurred on May 12 during Pashinyan's election campaign in Yerevan's Shengavit district, leading to Avetisyan's immediate detention. On May 15, the court ordered a one-month pre-trial detention period for the blogger. Legal experts and human rights advocates have frequently raised concerns over the use of judicial mechanisms to restrict freedom of speech and political expression in Armenia, particularly regarding criticisms directed at the state leadership.
