Pashinyan: Opposition leaders will not have the opportunity to flee Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in a video address that the heads of three opposition forces – pro-Russian billionaires Samvel Karapetyan and Gagik Tsarukyan – as well as former President Robert Kocharyan, "will be broken."

"Even during the election campaign, I said that you would dream of the opportunity to flee Armenia, but you will not have such an opportunity," Pashinyan stated.

He noted that former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan "has not been forgotten."

As a reminder, Karapetyan is under house arrest in Yerevan on charges of calling for a coup. Tsarukyan recently became the subject of a criminal case for tax evasion and has been banned from leaving Armenia. Kocharyan was also prevented from leaving the Yerevan airport; he intended to fly to Russia.

Meanwhile, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia has published the final results of the parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Pashinyan's Civil Contract party won a landslide victory, allowing it to independently form a government.

Politsila garnered 49.7% of the vote. The opposition blocs Strong Armenia (23.2%) and Armenia (9.9%) also entered parliament. The Prosperous Armenia Party, having received 3.983% of the vote, failed to overcome the 4% threshold required to enter parliament.

Civil Contract will receive 64 seats in the new parliament, while Strong Armenia and Armenia will receive 29 and 12 seats, respectively. CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan noted that the annulment of election results at three polling stations did not affect the final results.

Following this announcement, opposition representatives left the CEC meeting. At the same time, opposition supporters held a protest outside the Central Election Commission building. The rally was organized against the backdrop of the final results of the parliamentary elections, which the opposition is actively contesting. During the rally, one of its representatives was spotted wearing a T-shirt with Putin's image.