Following a statement by the Foreign Intelligence Service about pressure on Armenians abroad regarding participation in Armenia’s elections, police have conducted checks and obtained certain data, Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan said.
Asked which country was involved, the minister said she could not disclose further details, according to 1lurer.am .
“At this stage, I cannot provide additional information. Please follow the Investigative Committee’s statements for a clearer picture. Any signal coming from anywhere will be in our focus, regardless of the country. Since a preliminary investigation is underway, the Investigative Committee will issue a statement at the appropriate time,” she said.
During the briefing, a journalist asked whether the Interior Ministry relied solely on the Foreign Intelligence Service’s statement or had other information.
“If you read the Investigative Committee’s statement regarding this case — initiated based on our report — you will see more specific clarifications, including aspects of organizing the process with the involvement of political parties operating in Armenia, their representatives, and other actors,” the minister explained.
The Interior Ministry earlier referred the matter to the Investigative Committee based on information from the Foreign Intelligence Service, which said that in another country, individuals posing as representatives of that country’s special services attempted to pressure ethnic Armenians and Armenian citizens engaged in economic activity there to support certain political forces planning to participate in Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
On March 10, the Foreign Intelligence Service said such attempts had been made abroad, and on the same day the police forwarded the report to the Investigative Committee, which launched criminal proceedings.
