Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan openly stated his desire to prevent the pro-Russian opposition party "Strong Armenia" and the "Armenia" bloc from entering parliament in the 2026 elections. He accused the opposition members of simulating work and coming to parliament only to collect salaries. These remarks came amid the arrests of representatives of "Strong Armenia" on charges of vote-buying.
Lenur Seidametov, a Crimean Tatar sentenced to 13 years, was transported from a prison in the Lipetsk region to IK-3 in the Amur region. The colony is located more than 8 thousand kilometers from Crimea. During the entire transfer, Seidametov was unable to send letters to his relatives.
The Crimean Tatar was arrested in February 2021. A year later, the court sentenced him to 13 years in prison. The man was found guilty of participating in the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir (recognized as banned in the Russian Federation) and preparing for an armed seizure of power.
Lenur Seidametov reported hearing loss in one ear, pain in the knee joint, and problems with the lower spine.
Human rights activists note that party members are being sentenced to real prison terms on the basis that they met in apartments, read religious literature, and recruited new members.