People of Armenia deserve elections in which their voices determine  country`s path - MP

ArmInfo.The RA NA delegation is taking part in the ongoing OSCE PA Winter Meeting in Vienna.

The member of the RA NA delegation to PA Lilit Galstyan gave a speech  and noted:

"Dear Colleagues,

I would like to draw your urgent attention to two deeply troubling  issues of critical importance to Armenia.

First, in Baku, Armenian prisoners of war and the former leadership  of Nagorno-Karabakh have recently been sentenced to life imprisonment  following proceedings that fail to meet basic standards of justice.

The OSCE, mandated to address the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, not only  failed to prevent this outcome but remained largely indifferent to  these trials. This is not peacebuilding, but failure to demonstrate  political will and responsibility. Such inaction undermines  confidence in international institutions and weakens respect for the  rule of law in the region.

Allow me now to turn to the alarming decline of democracy within  Armenia itself. We are approaching the 2026 elections under  conditions that no longer meet the minimum standards for free and  fair democratic competition.

The government has become an instrument of political repression.  Judicial independence has collapsed, with politically motivated  verdicts that erode public trust.

Opposition leaders, parliamentarians, civil society activists, and  even high ranking clergymen have been arrested and detained on  fabricated charges. These individuals fully meet the criteria of  political prisoners as defined by the PACE Resolution.

These are observable realities documented by international  organizations, who state Armenia has experienced a decline in  electoral democracy, with no meaningful improvement since 2016.

Attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church are most alarming. The Prime  Minister himself is demanding the resignation of the Catholicos of  All Armenians, undermining the constitutional separation of church  and state. Criminal case is initiated against the Catholicos of All  Armenians, accompanied by a travel ban. This is in gross violation of  freedom of conscience and religion in Armenia. It is imperative that  the international community take note of these developments and stand  in defense of religious liberty and democratic principles in Armenia.

As representative of Armenia's parliamentary opposition, I remain  committed to peaceful political competition and democratic future.  But democracy cannot survive under repression. I therefore call upon  the /OSCE Parliamentary/ Assembly to monitor developments closely, to  report truthfully, and to uphold the core values of freedom,  pluralism, and the rule of law.

The people of Armenia deserve elections in which their voices - and  their voices alone - determine the country's path. Your principled  engagement is essential to safeguarding that future.

Thank you."