Avetik Chalabyan, an Armenian politician, public figure, and the coordinator of Armenia's HayaQve National Civic Initiative, was released today without preventive measures after a judge denied the prosecutor's request to extend his pretrial detention.

Chalabyan was arrested on June 24, 2026 and placed in a two-month pretrial detention period on charges of allegedly conspiring to obstruct the free exercise of electoral rights.

Armenian prosecutors claimed he met with foreign officials to orchestrate a scheme ensuring an opposition victory in Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election.  

Chalabyan and his legal team rejected the charges entirely, calling the case a fabricated, politically motivated attempt to isolate him.