Campaigning for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Yerevan on May 18, Pashinian repeatedly lost his temper after being confronted by disgruntled citizens. They included the sister of a senior military medic who went missing during the 2020 war in Karabakh. The woman blamed Pashinian for her loss and accused him of having “stolen my fatherland.” He responded by linking her to the three main opposition election contenders and pledging to “bring on their knees” and “take out” their leaders.
Pashinian also lashed out at a Yerevan-based Karabakh activist, Artur Osipian, who asked him questions and criticized his policies on Karabakh. He shouted insults and threats directed at “Karabakh pseudo-elites,” saying that they “should have died” during the wars with Azerbaijan.
Right after the incident, Osipian was arrested on charges of disrupting public order and obstructing the ruling Civil Contract’s election campaign. He has been on hunger strike in a Yerevan prison for almost two weeks.
Opposition groups and other critics say that Pashinian himself should have been prosecuted for his behavior. Aram Vartevanian, a senior representative of the main opposition Strong Armenia bloc, petitioned Prosecutor-General Anna Vartapetian on May 21 to order a formal inquiry into public calls for violence and hate speech. Vartapetian’s office forwarded the demand to another law-enforcement agency, the Investigative Committee.
The committee said on Monday that it has refused to open such a criminal case. It gave no reason for the decision approved by a prosecutor.
Pashinian continued to attack and threaten his three main election challengers even after an uproar caused by his outbursts. He said that former President Robert Kocharian, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian and another wealthy businessman, Gagik Tsarukian, will go to jail if he wins the June 7 elections. Representatives of the three opposition leaders have portrayed this as further proof that law-enforcement agencies and courts act on Pashinian’s orders.