Police today arrested more than a dozen individuals affiliated with the Strong Armenia alliance on charges of distributing bribes to voters in the town of Artashat in the run-up to the country’s June parliamentary election.

The party, led by Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, is seen as the main challenger to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party in the election that will decide the country’s next prime minister.

Karapetyan has been detained since June 2025 on charges of calling for a coup after criticizing the Armenian government's actions against the Armenian Apostolic Church. He subsequently launched Strong Armenia, proposing a return to closer cooperation with Russia.

Despite dual citizenship restrictions preventing him from being prime minister, Strong Armenia has nominated him as its candidate for prime minister.

Thousands attended a campaign rally in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on April 11 organized by the “Strong Armenia with Samvel Karapetyan” alliance,

 Karapetyan’s pre-recorded “Speech for Change” message to his supporters was broadcast on large screens installed in the square.

In his message, he accused Nikol Pashinyan’s government of keeping Armenia in a state of poverty, war, fear, and internal division. “Together, we are a force that will bring change, and this force cannot be stopped,” Karapetyan said.