The Independent Observer alliance issued a statement claiming that there are no elements of hooliganism or any other crime in the actions of Artsakh activist Arthur Osipyan, and that the restriction of his liberty may be linked to political criticism directed at Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The alliance demanded the immediate removal of restrictions on Osipyan’s freedom and called for a public explanation regarding the actions of law enforcement authorities.
“It is deeply concerning that the response of law enforcement agencies followed not a balanced and impartial assessment of the entire incident, but only the application of a deprivation-of-liberty measure against Osipyan. Meanwhile, during the same incident, no comparable visible actions were taken against other individuals who appeared to display aggressive behavior and make insulting remarks, including supporters of the ruling political force.
These circumstances create legitimate suspicion that the action taken against Osipyan may have been motivated by his sharp political criticism directed at the prime minister.
Therefore, law enforcement bodies are obliged to immediately provide a public explanation regarding the factual grounds for Osipyan’s detention, whether the actions of the other participants in the incident were assessed, and why identical or equivalent measures were not applied against them.
Taking the above into account, the Independent Observer alliance demands the immediate removal of restrictions on Arthur Osipyan’s liberty, while the competent authorities should issue a public apology if it is established that the interference against him was disproportionate, selective, or politically motivated,” the statement said.
Daniel Ioannisyan, head of the Union of Informed Citizens, wrote on Facebook: “I am not a fan of Arthur Osipyan, but he fought corruption in Artsakh. There are no elements of hooliganism or any other crime in Arthur Osipyan’s actions.”
“Arthur Osipyan voiced political criticism toward candidate Nikol Pashinyan and, in response, received degrading personal insults, including phrases such as ‘You should have died.’
It is deeply concerning that the reaction of law enforcement bodies followed not a balanced and impartial assessment of the whole incident, but only the application of a deprivation-of-liberty measure against Osipyan. Meanwhile, during the same incident, no comparable visible measures were taken against other individuals who appeared to display aggressive behavior and use insulting language, including supporters of the ruling political force.
These circumstances create legitimate suspicion that the action against Osipyan may have been motivated by his sharp political criticism of the prime minister.
Therefore, law enforcement bodies are obliged to immediately provide a public explanation regarding the factual grounds for Osipyan’s detention, whether the actions of the other participants in the incident were assessed, and why identical or equivalent measures were not applied against them,” he wrote.
Osipyan is the chairman of the Artsakh Revolutionary Party. He approached Nikol Pashinyan during a campaign event in Yerevan’s Arabkir district and asked questions regarding Armenia’s security and demands put forward by Azerbaijan, noting that Baku raises the issue of the return of Azerbaijani refugees on international platforms. Pashinyan reacted sharply, stating that such an issue is not on Armenia’s agenda and accusing Osipyan of spreading “Azerbaijani narratives.” The situation then escalated, and Pashinyan harshly urged Osipyan to leave.
Following the altercation with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the Civil Contract campaign event in Arabkir, criminal proceedings on hooliganism charges were initiated against Artsakh native Arthur Osipyan. He was transferred from the Arabkir community police department to a detention facility.
