Pashinyan called for pro-Russian opposition parties to be barred from entering the Armenian parliament

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.

Pashinyan believes that the June 7, 2026, elections will be decisive and will serve as the last chance for political forces aligned with his opponents, former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, and that overcoming the "former-current" polarization is only possible by barring these parties from entering parliament.
Against this backdrop, the court placed 12 members of "Strong Armenia" under house arrest.

Analysts note that Strong Armenia (led by pro-Russian oligarch and Russian citizen Samvel Karapetyan), Armenia (led by Robert Kocharyan), and Prosperous Armenia are the most pro-Russian parties. Moreover, political scientists believe the Kremlin is choosing Samvel Karapetyan despite his inability to participate in the elections due to his Russian citizenship.

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