What Happened Yesterday
MARCH 31, 2026
Armenia's Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) arrested 5 people in Metsamor, Armavir Province, linked to Samvel Karapetyan's "Our Way" movement. The alleged scheme:
- The NGO opened an office in Metsamor and registered local residents as employees
- Their job: recruit voters for "Strong Armenia" in the June 7 elections
- Bribes were disguised as salaries -- paid in stages to conceal them
- Hiring criteria: "having a large family and a wide circle of acquaintances"
- "Charity" payments for medical expenses also distributed
- Armenian law bans charitable activities by parties during the pre-election period
The ACC released audio recordings. Strong Armenia called them "a poorly made film by law enforcement officers and an edited recording."
The Double Standard
DOCUMENTED
| STRONG ARMENIA (Opposition) | CIVIL CONTRACT (Ruling Party) | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Audio recordings from one province | OCCRP investigation: half of 31 donors deny donating. Identical amounts on same dates across 10 towns. |
| Scale | One town (Metsamor, Armavir) | Nationwide -- 140 donors, $1.7M in suspicious funds |
| Arrests | 5 people arrested | Zero. Nobody. Not one. |
| Investigation | Criminal case opened immediately | Case opened then closed by ACC. Court ordered reopened. Prosecutor General appealed to keep it closed. |
| Publicity | Maximum -- audio released to media | Minimum -- ACC refused to explain closure |
| Timeline | Days from allegation to arrest | 2+ years, zero arrests, still fighting in court |
When the opposition allegedly bribes voters in one town, 5 people are arrested in days. When the ruling party's donors don't even know they donated -- across the entire country -- the Prosecutor General personally fights to keep the case closed.
The Prosecutor General's Role
Anna Vardapetyan -- Pashinyan's former legal adviser, now Prosecutor General -- is personally appealing the court order to reopen the Civil Contract donation fraud investigation. She oversees the same ACC that arrested the 5 opposition members yesterday.
One prosecutor. Two systems of justice.
Meanwhile: Karapetyan's Court Appeal Postponed
Also today, the Court of Appeals postponed its decision on Samvel Karapetyan's house arrest appeal. No new date was set. Karapetyan has been detained since June 2025 -- 9 months -- while the election approaches. The repeated postponements serve one purpose: keep the leading opposition candidate unable to campaign.
Read Our Full Investigation
For the complete evidence of Civil Contract's fake donor scheme -- including donor quotes, amounts, and the Armeconombank pipeline:
Coordinated Cash: How Civil Contract Faked Its Donors →