Democracy cannot survive when the voices of elected officials are silenced by force or legal intimidation
20.10
2025
The arrest of the elected head of Armenia’s second-largest city, Gyumri, represents nothing less than another institutionalization of political repression in the country — the first “conquest” of the so-called “Fourth Republic” created by the power-grabbing ruling clique.
Armenia does not have democracy; mechanisms for checks and balances on authorities are merely a façade; elected officials have no ability to act freely or influence decision-making processes; election results carry no legal weight; the electoral system is dependent on the whims of a single individual and their supporting clique; the primary condition for political equality is absent; local self-government systems are on the verge of collapse.
With the arrest of yet another opposition mayor, the authorities aim to cement a one-party regime, prevent the opposition’s candidates from winning in the upcoming elections in Vagharshapat, and relegate the opposition to a symbolic role that has no influence over decision-making, criticism, or alternative thinking and action.
The ruling party’s approach to political retribution has long posed a threat to Armenia’s constitutional order and internal security. The disrespectful rhetoric from government representatives directed at the opposition and tens of thousands of its supporters has become the ruling party’s only political capital.
Through these methods, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Civil Contract party are turning Armenia into a party-state, adopting the mindset, repressive practices, and climate of fear and hatred characteristic of totalitarian regimes.
Armenia’s international obligations to uphold democracy, autonomy, and the rule of law have become a subject of ridicule. During the years of Civil Contract rule, Armenia has ultimately surrendered its democratic values. The arrest of the mayor in Gyumri is yet another proof of the absence of democracy and the rule of law in Armenia. Democracy cannot survive when the voices of elected officials are silenced by force or legal intimidation.
However, the will of the people cannot be arrested. We demand the full restoration of the functions of local self-government in accordance with the will of citizens. We urge all political forces, civil society, and international organizations to raise their voices against this unacceptable practice and to protect representatives elected by the people.
