Former MP Ruben Hakobyan from the Hayastan alliance has been arrested for two months, according to his son, Yerevan City Council member Samvel Hakobyan.
He wrote: “My father was jailed for two months on the order of a sacrilegious, non-Armenian coward. People like you will always fear real Armenian men. You will be held accountable. Power is never eternal. In the end, it's the true character that prevails — everything else is temporary.”
According to Kima Avdalyan, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee, Hakobyan is suspected of making public calls for the seizure of power during a media interview, reports Armenpress.
“The Main Department for Crimes Against the State, Constitutional Order, and Public Security of the Investigative Committee has obtained factual evidence that Ruben Hakobyan publicly called for the seizure of power via mass media during an interview on July 1, 2025. Based on the investigator’s petition, and with the approval of the supervising prosecutor on July 18, 2025, public criminal prosecution was initiated against him under Article 422, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. That same day, he was detained for a court appearance,” Avdalyan stated.
The Initiative of Five Human Rights Defenders released a statement regarding the criminal case and the charges brought against the former MP.
“The prosecution of opposition politician Ruben Hakobyan is yet another attempt to suppress political speech.
Hakobyan is being charged over political commentary he made weeks ago — remarks that referred to past events, not future plans. Under these conditions, labeling such remarks as a ‘call’ is linguistically and legally unfounded.
By continuously expanding the limits of restricted critical speech, the authorities are seeking a one-sided game where ruling figures enjoy total impunity while opposition members can be imprisoned anytime on fabricated charges,” the statement reads.
