As Armenia gears up for its upcoming parliamentary elections in June, concerns of democratic regression have been raised by an advocacy group led by the former president of Human Rights Watch. The International Observatory for Democracy in Armenia (IODA) conducted a fact-finding mission in Yerevan in March and discovered troubling signs of the current Armenian government attempting to stifle opposition viewpoints and weaken independent institutions that could act as a check on executive power.
In response to these findings, IODA has reached out to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Global Affairs Canada to highlight their concerns. Canada is making preparations to deploy seven independent election observers to Armenia ahead of the upcoming elections, in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
During a recent European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, Carney, who was the first non-European leader to be invited to the event, emphasized the historical ties between Canada and Armenia. He underscored shared values such as freedom, the rule of law, democracy, and pluralism, as well as Canada’s involvement in the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA).
The IODA has raised alarms about the Armenian government’s alleged interference in judicial independence, religious institutions, and politicized prosecutions targeting political opponents. Opposition figures, including business magnate Samvel Karapetyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, have been detained on various charges, including accusations of attempting a coup against Prime Minister Pashinyan.
As Armenia faces its first election since losing control of Nagorno-Karabakh, Western nations, including Canada, have been vocal about the aftermath of the conflict. The European Parliament recently passed a resolution urging Azerbaijan to release Armenian prisoners of war and ensure the return of refugees to the enclave under secure conditions. The resolution coincided with the destruction of churches in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, sparking further international concern.
Amid these developments, the role of international election observers, including those from Canada, will be critical in ensuring transparency and fairness throughout the electoral process in Armenia.
