The “Strong Armenia” party confronted European Union representatives outside the EU Delegation in Yerevan on November 11, condemning their silence over alleged political persecution under Nikol Pashinyan’s government following the death in custody of Arsen Gevorgyan, whom the opposition identifies as a political prisoner.
Protesters carried placards reading “Justice for Arsen Gevorgyan,” demanding that European institutions publicly address the death of an opposition candidate detained just days before an election and the allegations of political repression surrounding his imprisonment.
“We are here because the conduct and silence of EU representatives are unjustified,” said “Strong Armenia” lawmaker Arega Hovsepyan.
“We are witnessing the death of democracy,” she warned, condemning European representatives for failing to speak out as another opposition figure died behind bars.
Hovsepyan accused Pashinyan’s administration of weaponizing criminal prosecution against political opponents. She argued that Gevorgyan had been imprisoned because of his opposition views and accused the authorities of destroying individuals’ reputations through fabricated charges and public smear campaigns.
According to Hovsepyan, the pressure inflicted on political opponents has consequences extending far beyond their imprisonment, including severe psychological and physical distress.
During the demonstration, “Strong Armenia” lawmakers Harutyun Harutyunyan, Marianna Gharamanyan, and Lena Matevosyan delivered a letter to the EU ambassador detailing the circumstances of Gevorgyan’s death and bringing the opposition’s accusations directly before European representatives.
Gevorgyan, 46, was the party’s candidate for mayor of Stepanavan. He was arrested on October 21, four days before the municipal elections, during operations involving 14 individuals. The Anti-Corruption Court ordered two months of pretrial detention over alleged electoral bribery, charges his party denounced as politically motivated.
On November 10, less than three weeks after his arrest, Gevorgyan died at Nubarashen Penitentiary without having been convicted of a crime.
His lawyers have since raised grave allegations concerning the circumstances of his death, accusing prison authorities of failing to provide timely medical care. They say his condition visibly deteriorated, yet he was examined by a paramedic rather than a doctor. An ambulance was allegedly not called promptly, and doctors were reportedly allowed inside the penitentiary only after he had already died.
The Penitentiary Service maintains that a paramedic administered first aid, an ambulance was called at approximately 7:55 a.m., and medical personnel pronounced Gevorgyan dead at 8:30 a.m. The allegations have prompted demands for an independent investigation into whether prison authorities failed in their duty to protect his life. Criminal proceedings have been initiated, and a forensic examination ordered.
The protest followed a November 10 joint statement by political forces that consolidated around a national agenda on November 4.
The signatories held Pashinyan’s ruling “Civil Contract” party and judicial officials responsible for Gevorgyan’s death, accusing them of turning pretrial detention into an instrument of political retribution with deadly consequences. They condemned a climate in which, they said, human life and dignity have ceased to be treated as fundamental values.
Although organized by “Strong Armenia,” the November 11 demonstration carried the broader opposition’s demand for international accountability directly to the EU Delegation.
The letter placed those accusations formally before European representatives as Gevorgyan’s lawyers continued to demand an independent and impartial investigation into his death, including the alleged failure to provide timely emergency medical care.
