Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan considers it outrageous that none of the defendants in the criminal cases regarding vote buying after the snap parliamentary elections held in 2021 have served a prison sentence.

According to “Armenpress”, Pashinyan stated in a briefing with reporters after a government meeting that the absence of prison sentences in cases of vote buying is a manifestation of a crisis in the judicial system.

“We need to understand on what grounds these cases have been closed and why the defendants have not been sentenced to imprisonment. Otherwise, it means that our judicial system is giving a green light to those who distribute vote bribes,” he said.

According to him, he will at least provide a political assessment of the situation, while the legal assessment should be given by legal experts.

Nikol Pashinyan also recently announced that it is a priority for him that all individuals involved in vote buying cases should be imprisoned before the next nationwide elections in Armenia in 2026.

During the entire campaign for the parliamentary elections held on June 7 in Armenia, and also after the elections, the Anti-Corruption Committee has been regularly releasing statements about cases of vote buying by representatives of the “Strong Armenia,” “Armenia” alliances, and the “Prosperous Armenia” party, also presenting recordings that testify to these incidents.

* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).