Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has detained Arsen Aghababyan, head of the Noyemberyan community and a member of the opposition Country to Live party, 24News reports.
Aghababyan is reportedly being transported to Yerevan. The reason for his detention and other details have not yet been disclosed.
The detention comes less than three months before local elections in Noyemberyan, scheduled for November 29, 2026.
Country to Live has close ties to Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh who is currently illegally held in Azerbaijan. The party has publicly described Vardanyan as a partner and like-minded figure, while Vardanyan openly endorsed the party during the 2023 Yerevan elections.
Aghababyan’s detention is also the latest in a series of arrests targeting opposition community leaders under Nikol Pashinyan’s rule.
Vanadzor community head Mamikon Aslanyan was arrested in December 2021, days after his bloc won the largest share of votes in the city’s municipal elections and shortly before the new council was due to elect the community head.
Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan was arrested in October 2025 after the opposition returned to power in Armenia’s second-largest city. He remained in pretrial detention for months before being transferred to house arrest in July 2026.
Masis Mayor Davit Hambardzumyan was also arrested in October 2025 after returning to Armenia. His prosecution was denounced by opposition forces as politically motivated. He was later transferred to house arrest pending his appeal.
Noyemberyan is now set to vote on November 29, with its incumbent opposition community head detained less than three months before the election.
