Interior minister declines to disclose arrival figures of voters from Russia

By Siranush Adamyan

Armenia’s Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan has declined to disclose how many Armenian citizens arrived from Russia around the time of the country’s June 7 parliamentary elections or how many had been detained on suspicion of election-related interference, saying investigations are ongoing.

Speaking to reporters in parliament on Friday, Sargsyan was asked whether the authorities had data on the number of people who entered Armenia from Russia during the election period.

“At this moment, I would not like to publish figures, but I am sure you know that the entire matter is within our field of vision,” Sargsyan said.

She said the issue remains under scrutiny by the Interior Ministry, the National Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service.

The remarks come after weeks of allegations that large numbers of Armenian citizens residing in Russia could be brought to Armenia to vote for opposition forces.

On the eve of the election, Reuters published an investigation alleging that Russia had sought to undermine Armenia’s pro-Western course through covert influence operations, including plans that allegedly involved encouraging up to 100,000 Armenian citizens from Russia to participate in the vote.

Though the publication cited sources in the intelligence community and a senior U.S. official, it conceded that it was unable to independently verify whether such a plan was underway or whether it would be enough to close the wide gap between Pashinyan and the opposition.

While declining to provide specific numbers, Sargsyan confirmed that criminal proceedings have been launched involving some Armenian citizens who arrived from Russia and that some had been arrested.

As examples, she cited cases involving interference with voting rights and the recruitment of individuals for election-related activities. Sargsyan also refused to disclose how many people had been detained so far.

“I cannot say at this stage how many of those who arrived have been detained because  it is an ongoing process,” she said.