The criminal case against Hayakve movement coordinator Avetik Chalabyan has been sent to the supervising prosecutor with an indictment, Armenia’s Investigative Committee said.
According to the committee, investigators from the Main Department for the Investigation of Crimes Against the State, the Foundations of the Constitutional Order and Public Security obtained evidence indicating that Chalabyan, as coordinator of the Hayakve movement, allegedly attempted to obstruct the free exercise of Armenian citizens’ voting rights during the parliamentary elections held on June 7, 2026.
According to the Investigative Committee, on February 4, 2026, Chalabyan met representatives of a foreign state at a café in Yerevan. Investigators allege that, with the aim of persuading them and securing the victory of their preferred political force, he encouraged them to act together, by prior agreement, to use their official authority and influence to interfere with the exercise of electoral rights. Specifically, the committee said he allegedly proposed that owners of organizations operating in the foreign state compel Armenian citizens employed there and eligible to vote to travel to Armenia and cast ballots in favor of the Strong Armenia alliance in the June 7 parliamentary elections. According to the committee, the representatives of the foreign state agreed to the proposal.
The statement says that investigative and procedural actions identified the alleged offender, and that, by decision of the supervising prosecutor, public criminal prosecution was initiated against Chalabyan under Article 43-210, Part 2, Clauses 5 and 6 of the Criminal Code. He is accused of preparing to obstruct the exercise of electoral rights by a group acting with prior agreement through the use of official authority or influence derived from official powers.
Pretrial detention has been imposed on Chalabyan as a preventive measure.
