Security officers in Armenia have detained opposition activists and podcast hosts Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan after more than an hour of searches at their Yerevan homes, in what critics see as another step in a mounting crackdown ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
The two men, co-hosts of the popular Imnemnimi podcast, were taken into custody less than a week after broadcasting a seven-hour episode featuring former President Serzh Sargsyan. In that marathon discussion, Sargsyan sharply criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s handling of negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh and his conduct during the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.
Authorities insist, however, that the detentions are tied not to the Sargsyan interview but to the November 10 episode of Imnemnimi, in which Samsonyan and Saghatelyan discussed Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan and allegedly used offensive language and threats.
According to Samsonyan’s relatives and lawyers, officers from the National Security Service (NSS) searched his apartment and then took him to the Investigative Committee. An investigator later confirmed that Samsonyan has been charged with hooliganism.
Speaking to reporters, Simonyan framed the case as a matter of law and order, not politics.
“All those who commit acts of hooliganism and make threats will be punished by law,” the parliament speaker said, insisting that the situation goes “beyond emotions, insults, and slander” when a threat is involved.
“We are going to have a different society – one where people do not stab each other,” Simonyan continued. “The reason for what happened to these guys was simple – living according to a criminal subculture in which one person humiliates another. If a threat is made, what should I do? I couldn’t simply ignore it. I reported it. And I will continue to report such incidents in the future.”
In addition to the criminal case, Simonyan is seeking 2 million drams (over $5,000) in damages from Saghatelyan, as well as a public apology on Saghatelyan’s personal social media page within five working days.
Lawyers for both podcasters say they were obstructed from doing their work. Samsonyan’s attorney, Ruben Melikyan, stated that he attempted to enter his client’s apartment to be present during investigative actions but was barred from entering.
Saghatelyan wrote on Facebook that masked NSS officers had also searched his home. His lawyer, Arsen Babayan, shared a photo from Saghatelyan’s yard, likewise saying he was not allowed inside. Later, Babayan posted a video showing Saghatelyan being detained and taken away by NSS officers.
The Investigative Committee confirmed that “urgent investigative measures” are being conducted as part of a criminal case but declined to provide further details.
Opposition figures and media observers, however, link the operation to a broader pattern: over the past months, law-enforcement bodies have increasingly targeted opposition politicians, critical clergy, local officials, and now prominent media voices, as the ruling Civil Contract party looks toward the 2026 elections.
In that context, the timing is seen as particularly significant. By moving against Samsonyan and Saghatelyan days after they hosted a high-profile, highly critical interview with a former president, the authorities send a clear signal not only to the opposition but also to media platforms that give space to Pashinyan’s rivals.
For many critics, the use of heavy-handed NSS raids and hooliganism charges over political speech fits neatly into an emerging pre-election playbook: criminal cases, civil suits, and public moralizing about “criminal subcultures” are deployed not merely to punish individual critics, but to chill the broader field of opposition activity as Armenia heads toward a decisive 2026 vote.
