Armenia Detains Mother Armenia Politician Over State Secrets

The Investigative Committee of Armenia detained Aregnaz Manukyan, a member of the Mother Armenia party's governing board, on July 9, 2026. Manukyan was charged under Article 427, Part 1 of the Criminal Code for the publication of information containing state secrets. A court subsequently remanded her in custody for two months.

This prosecution is linked to a separate case involving Mother Armenia chairman Andranik Tevanyan. Tevanyan faces charges of high treason and espionage for allegedly receiving money from a foreign intelligence service to provide Russian-language translations of confidential National Assembly hearings from April 2024. Manukyan's arrest followed a search of her residence conducted on June 12.

Mother Armenia condemned the detention, characterizing the legal system as a tool for political persecution and calling for public vigilance to prevent the establishment of an authoritarian regime. On July 11, female opposition members of the National Assembly issued a statement calling for Manukyan's release. They urged Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan and investigating authority head Artur Poghosyan to replace her detention with a less restrictive measure, citing the presumption of innocence and Manukyan's status as a parent of a minor child.