Armenia warns of foreign pressure, interference in upcoming elections

Armenia’s Foreign Intelligence Service issued a statement on Tuesday saying Armenian citizens and ethnic Armenians in an unnamed foreign country are being pressured to support certain political forces ahead of the Armenian parliamentary elections scheduled for June.

The agency said individuals presenting themselves as officers of that country’s secret services coerce local Armenian businesspeople into supporting political forces that have declared their intention to participate in the upcoming vote.

The desired support includes providing financial and organizational support, the agency said.

In its annual report published in January, the FIS warned that hybrid threats and foreign interference are likely to intensify, particularly in the run-up to the parliamentary elections. The agency said the Armenian public may be targeted with fake, distorted or out-of-context information intended to influence voters before the nationwide vote.

Also read: Armenia expects increase in hybrid threats, flags ‘Western Azerbaijan’ rhetoric

According to the report, such influence campaigns could rely on fake social media accounts, paid advertisements, bot networks and increased use of artificial intelligence. The intelligence service also said businesspeople, religious and cultural figures, as well as organized crime groups linked to decision-making circles of a foreign country, may play a role in these operations.

Concerns about foreign interference have also been raised by European officials. In December, after Armenia and the European Union signed a new strategic agenda prioritizing the fight against hybrid threats, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said “Russia and its proxies” were behind disinformation campaigns targeting Armenia. The Armenian authorities, however, refrain from accusing Russia directly whenever they mention hybrid threats.

Armenia’s nationwide parliamentary elections will be held on June 7. As in previous elections, citizens will only be allowed to vote inside the country, and not at embassies worldwide. Last week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a government briefing that there were rumors that many people could arrive from Russia on election day. He said, however, that he expects most of them to vote for the ruling Civil Contract party.