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.
Kevork Hagopjian - Armenia’s Church-State Showdown | Ep 504, Jan 13, 2026 [EP504]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Armenian Church, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Human Rights, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, NATO, European Union
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- The Legal Architecture: Autonomy, Exclusive Mission, and State Neutrality
- Engineering Parallel, Schismatic Structures
- Criminal Law as Leverage
- Bern in Action and Reaction
- The Deeper Stakes: National Identity
Episode 504 | Recorded: January 12, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #Etchmiadzin #HumanRights #ReligiousFreedom
Hrant Mikaelian - Venezuela, Attacks on the Armenian Church Continue, MPG Poll Results | Ep 501, Jan 4, 2026 [EP501]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Armenian Church, Economy, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, BRICS, Russia, China, Geopolitics, Georgia, Human Rights, Iran, NATO, Syria | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Developments in Venezuela
- Attacks on Armenian Church Continue
- New MPG Poll Results
Episode 501 | Recorded: January 6, 2026
#VenezuelaCrisis #ArmenianChurch #MPGPoll #ArmeniaEconomy #Geopolitics
Hrant Mikaelian - Venezuela, Attacks on the Armenian Church Continue, MPG Poll Results | Ep 501, Jan 4, 2026 [EP501]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Armenian Church, Economy, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, BRICS, Russia, China, Geopolitics, Georgia, Human Rights, Iran, NATO, SyriaGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Developments in Venezuela
- Attacks on Armenian Church Continue
- New MPG Poll Results
Episode 501 | Recorded: January 6, 2026
#VenezuelaCrisis #ArmenianChurch #MPGPoll #ArmeniaEconomy #Geopolitics
Benyamin Poghosyan - Ukraine, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, TRIPP, Review & Outlook | Ep 500, Dec 28, 2025 [EP500]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Iran, Armenian Church, Ukraine, Georgia, China, NATO, Economy, European Union, Syria, India, Middle East, Genocide, Lebanon | Series: video, wir
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Foreign Crises Affecting Armenia
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Saga
- Russia and TRIPP
- Change of US Ambassador
- Year-End Review & Outlook
Episode 500 | Recorded: December 31, 2025
Benyamin Poghosyan - Ukraine, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, TRIPP, Review & Outlook | Ep 500, Dec 28, 2025 [EP500]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Iran, Armenian Church, Ukraine, Georgia, China, NATO, Economy, European Union, Syria, India, Middle East, Genocide, LebanonGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Foreign Crises Affecting Armenia
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Saga
- Russia and TRIPP
- Change of US Ambassador
- Year-End Review & Outlook
Episode 500 | Recorded: December 31, 2025
Spotlight on Silence: InJustice in Armenia | Ep 497, Dec 18, 2025 [EP497]
Posted on Thursday, Dec 18, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Spotlight on Silence, Political Prisoners, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine | Series: video, sos
Groong Links:
Guest:
Follow ACPR on Facebook: Քաղաքական իրավունքների հայկական կենտրոն - ՔԻՀԿ / ACPR
Topics:
- Criminalization of Speech and Dissent in Armenia
- Legal Pressure on Lawyers, Journalists, and Clergy
- Selective Justice and Coordinated Propaganda
- Article 236 and the Policing of Protest
Episode 497 | Recorded: December 14, 2025
#SpotlightOnSilence #ArmeniaJustice #PoliticalPrisoners #FreedomOfSpeech #RuleOfLaw #HumanRights #Groong
Read MoreSpotlight on Silence: InJustice in Armenia | Ep 497, Dec 18, 2025 [EP497]
Posted on Thursday, Dec 18, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Spotlight on Silence, Political Prisoners, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, UkraineGroong Links:
Guest:
Follow ACPR on Facebook: Քաղաքական իրավունքների հայկական կենտրոն - ՔԻՀԿ / ACPR
Topics:
- Criminalization of Speech and Dissent in Armenia
- Legal Pressure on Lawyers, Journalists, and Clergy
- Selective Justice and Coordinated Propaganda
- Article 236 and the Policing of Protest
Episode 497 | Recorded: December 14, 2025
#SpotlightOnSilence #ArmeniaJustice #PoliticalPrisoners #FreedomOfSpeech #RuleOfLaw #HumanRights #Groong
Read MoreGaren Jinbachian - OSCE Human Dimension Conf, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and The West | Ep 489, Nov 26, 2025 [EP489]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Political Prisoners, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Georgia, Genocide, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Azerbaijanâs war crimes and impunity
- Sham trials of Artsakh leaders
- Silence of the OSCE and the West
- Armeniaâs growing political repression
- Attacks on the Armenian Church
Episode 489 | Recorded: November 23, 2025
Garen Jinbachian - OSCE Human Dimension Conf, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and The West | Ep 489, Nov 26, 2025 [EP489]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Political Prisoners, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Georgia, Genocide, Turkey, Iran, LebanonGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Azerbaijanâs war crimes and impunity
- Sham trials of Artsakh leaders
- Silence of the OSCE and the West
- Armeniaâs growing political repression
- Attacks on the Armenian Church
Episode 489 | Recorded: November 23, 2025