During a campaign rally held on May 17 in Yerevan’s Davtashen administrative district, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that after the parliamentary elections, Strong Armenia leader Samvel Karapetyan, Prosperous Armenia Party chairman Gagik Tsarukyan, former President Serzh Sargsyan and Armenia alliance prime ministerial candidate Robert Kocharyan would dream of leaving Armenia but would not be able to do so.

“After the parliamentary elections, Samvel Karapetyan, Gagik Tsarukyan, Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan will dream of fleeing Armenia. Their dream will remain unfulfilled. They will not be able to flee Armenia because the Republic of Armenia will hold them accountable, just as it has been done until now,” he said, according to Factor.am .

Pashinyan also commented on the May 16 incident in Tashir involving Defense Minister Suren Papikyan.

“Listen, you man from Kaluga, I told you the state will get stuck in your throat — you’ll choke on it,” Pashinyan said while referring to the incident.

According to the Investigative Committee, a group of supporters of the Strong Armenia alliance, after learning about the previously announced location of the Civil Contract party’s election campaign, organized actions aimed at obstructing the normal course of the campaign. Ten people were detained within the framework of the criminal proceedings.

One of the videos showed a group of people greeting the Civil Contract motorcade with chants of “Samvel for prime minister” and songs. At the scene, Papikyan called on police officers to restore order among opposition supporters and promised to “teach a political lesson to those giving them instructions.”