Armenia arrests six opposition candidates before vote

Armenia authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party on Saturday afternoon, one day before the June 7 general election. The party currently polls between 6% and 11%, trailing the ruling Civil Contract party which holds a lead of 24% to 32%. This vote serves as a critical test of Yerevan's pivot toward Western allies and its capacity to secure a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

The state Investigative Committee detained the candidates without citing specific reasons. This follows the house arrest of party leader Samvel Karapetyan. Karapetyan faces charges of calling for a government overthrow, which he rejects as politically motivated.