Political Prisoners
Last updated: May 29, 2026
The arrest and detention of political opponents has been one of the defining controversies of the Pashinyan government, particularly in the period following the 44-Day War and accelerating sharply in 2024 and 2025. Those detained include figures from across the opposition spectrum: leaders of the Armenia Alliance and Hayastan Dashinq blocs, senior clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church including archbishops and bishops, journalists, civil society activists, and members of political parties competing in the 2026 elections.
Critics of the government argue these arrests constitute politically motivated persecution designed to weaken the opposition ahead of the June 2026 parliamentary elections and to suppress the Srbazan Movement that emerged in spring 2024. The Pashinyan government has characterized the detentions as lawful prosecutions for criminal conduct. International human rights organizations and Western governments have raised concerns about the fairness of proceedings and the conditions of detention.
Groong has covered political prisoners in Armenia extensively, tracking individual cases, the legal proceedings, international responses, and the broader pattern of what critics describe as democratic backsliding. Episodes in this category address the detention of specific individuals, the political context of their arrests, and the implications for Armenia’s stated aspirations toward European integration and rule of law.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Political Prisoners.
Aghasi Yenokian - Ruling Party Power Grabs | Early Elections | Judiciary Concerns | Ալտերնատիվ պատմություն Հայոց | Ep 298, Dec. 14, 2023 [EP298]
Posted on Thursday, Dec 14, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Iran, NATO | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Ruling Party Power Grabs
- Why is Civil Contract so Adamant on Total Municipal Control
- Political Prisoners
- Early/Snap Elections?
- Armeniaâs Controlled Judiciary
- About Yenokianâs new book: Ô±Õ¬Õ¿Õ¥ÖÕ¶Õ¡Õ¿Õ«Õ¾ ÕºÕ¡Õ¿Õ´Õ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¸ÖÕ¶ ÕÕ¡ÕµÕ¸Ö
Episode 298 | Recorded: December 13, 2023
Aghasi Yenokian - Ruling Party Power Grabs | Early Elections | Judiciary Concerns | Ալտերնատիվ պատմություն Հայոց | Ep 298, Dec. 14, 2023 [EP298]
Posted on Thursday, Dec 14, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Iran, NATOGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Ruling Party Power Grabs
- Why is Civil Contract so Adamant on Total Municipal Control
- Political Prisoners
- Early/Snap Elections?
- Armeniaâs Controlled Judiciary
- About Yenokianâs new book: Ô±Õ¬Õ¿Õ¥ÖÕ¶Õ¡Õ¿Õ«Õ¾ ÕºÕ¡Õ¿Õ´Õ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¸ÖÕ¶ ÕÕ¡ÕµÕ¸Ö
Episode 298 | Recorded: December 13, 2023
Hrant Mikaelian - Armenian Foreign Policy Vectors | MPG Poll Results | Economy and 2024 Budget | Ep 295 - Nov 12, 2023 [EP295]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 15, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Economy, Israel, Ukraine, Georgia, China, India, NATO | Series: wir
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenian Foreign Policy Vectors
- Latest MPG Poll Result Analysis
- Armenian Economy and 2024 Budget
Episode 295 | Recorded: Nov 15, 2023
Hrant Mikaelian - Armenian Foreign Policy Vectors | MPG Poll Results | Economy and 2024 Budget | Ep 295 - Nov 12, 2023 [EP295]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 15, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Economy, Israel, Ukraine, Georgia, China, India, NATOGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenian Foreign Policy Vectors
- Latest MPG Poll Result Analysis
- Armenian Economy and 2024 Budget
Episode 295 | Recorded: Nov 15, 2023
Tevan Poghosyan - Crossroads of Peace | Iran | Russia | French Weapons | Artsakh | Ep 291 - October 29, 2023 [EP291]
Posted on Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, India, China, Economy, NATO, Ukraine, Genocide | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Crossroads of Peace
- 3+3=5 in Tehran
- Relations with Russia
- Defense Deal with France
- Artsakh Status
Episode 291 | Recorded: October 31, 2023
Guest:
Topics:
- Crossroads of Peace
- 3+3=5 in Tehran
- Relations with Russia
- Defense Deal with France
- Artsakh Status
Episode 291 | Recorded: October 31, 2023
Levon Zourabian - Armenian National Congress | Democracy and Armenia | Negotiations with Azerbaijan | Artsakh | Global Conflicts | Ep 290 - Oct 29, 2023 [EP290]
Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Video, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Genocide, Ukraine, Iran, European Union, NATO, Economy, Turkey, China, Georgia | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenian National Congress (ANC)
- Democracy and Armenia
- Azerbaijan-Armenia Negotiations
- Artsakh
- Global Conflicts - Israel, Ukraine
Episode 290 | Recorded: October 27, 2023
Levon Zourabian - Armenian National Congress | Democracy and Armenia | Negotiations with Azerbaijan | Artsakh | Global Conflicts | Ep 290 - Oct 29, 2023 [EP290]
Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Video, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Genocide, Ukraine, Iran, European Union, NATO, Economy, Turkey, China, GeorgiaGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenian National Congress (ANC)
- Democracy and Armenia
- Azerbaijan-Armenia Negotiations
- Artsakh
- Global Conflicts - Israel, Ukraine
Episode 290 | Recorded: October 27, 2023
Yeghia Tashjian - Aftermath of the Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh | Israeli-Palestinian Crisis & Ripples | Ep. 288 - Oct 22, 2023 [EP288]
Posted on Sunday, Oct 22, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Israel, Middle East, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, China, India, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, Lebanon, Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, Genocide, European Union | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Aftermath of the Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh
- Shahramanyan meets Protesters
- âRights & Securityâ
- Government-in-Exile
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- Ripple Effects to the South Caucasus
- Effects in the Middle East
- Lebanon & the Armenian Community
Episode 288 | Recorded: October 22, 2023