Representatives of the Council of Europe have called on Azerbaijani authorities to release human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Specifically, PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan asserts that his prosecution is political in nature and that fundamental principles of a fair trial were violated during the proceedings.
The Russian Ambassador to Armenia, Sergey Kopyrkin, returned to Yerevan after consultations in Moscow and resumed his diplomatic duties.
Earlier, on May 30, Kopyrkin was recalled to Moscow for consultations. This decision was prompted by the Armenian leadership's efforts to strengthen ties with the European Union.
The previous day, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing the EU of seeking direct interference and control over the electoral process in Armenia. The Russian side expressed the opinion that the parliamentary elections in the country were held under severe pressure on the opposition and with the participation of Western countries.
Parliamentary elections in Armenia were held on June 7. According to preliminary results, incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party secured the support of approximately 49.8% of voters, allowing it to form a government independently. In addition to it, the opposition pro-Russian blocs “Strong Armenia” (23.29%) and “Armenia” (9.94%) are entering parliament.