Seven prominent human rights experts expressed concern about foreign interference in Armenia’s elections in their preliminary assessment of the findings of a fact-finding mission.
The International Observatory for Democracies in Armenia (IODA), established specifically to monitor the pre-election period for the June 7 parliamentary elections, noted in its preliminary assessment following a fact-finding mission from March 7 to 12 that “officials from the European Union, the United States, Turkey, and Azerbaijan attempted to influence the electoral process in Armenia by publicly expressing support for Nikol Pashinyan.”
“It will not be good for Armenia’s future if these tensions continue and if other countries decide who should rule in this country.” “The decision must be made by the people of Armenia,” said Philippe Kalfayan, founder of IODA, former Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), a lawyer of the Council of Europe, a French-Armenian lawyer, and currently a judge at the National Court of France.
“So you believe that a struggle between Russia and the West is currently underway in Armenia?” he responded. “Yes, yes, this struggle for the people, for democracy, is not ours; this struggle is not Armenian. And this country will suffer from this struggle.”
Pointing to the 15 million euros in support provided to Armenia by the European Union to counter Russian interference, and to US Vice President J.D. Vance’s public support for Nikol Pashinyan, Kalfayan insists that Armenia must neutralize pro-Russian or pro-Western polarization during these elections.