Election bribery is a criminal offense punishable by actual imprisonment, with penalties that are strict and unavoidable, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan stated during a Collegium meeting.

The meeting reviewed the work carried out so far by the working group established within the Prosecutor General’s Office ahead of the regular National Assembly elections scheduled for June 7.

“Not only offering or giving an election bribe is a crime, but also receiving one. It is a crime to offer citizens money, services, gifts, privileges, or any other benefit with the aim of influencing their vote. It is a crime to use administrative resources to influence electoral choices. It is a crime to pay people for participating in political gatherings or election-related events. It is a crime to provide material incentives to voters regardless of how they are presented, for example, under the guise of charity.

Every crime connected with the electoral process, regardless of the number of individuals involved, the amount, form, or method of election bribery, the way voter will is influenced, or the actors involved, is subject to a strict criminal law assessment. Our work must continue in the same manner. The result of this process should be zero public tolerance toward electoral crimes,” she said.

Participants were informed that, by order of the Prosecutor General of Armenia, a hotline has been launched at the Prosecutor General’s Office with the phone number 010 511-527.

Through the hotline, all individuals and organizations involved in the electoral process, as well as citizens, may provide factual information about alleged crimes obstructing the electoral process. Reports may be submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office, sent to the Prosecutor’s Office official email address, or filed anonymously through the website.

The election campaign, which began on May 8, will continue until June 5. June 6 will be a day of silence, while elections will be held on June 7. On May 25, it became known that the Alliance Progressive Centrist Party had submitted a withdrawal application, after which the Central Electoral Commission invalidated the registration of the party’s electoral list. As a result, ballot paper number 13 will not appear in the upcoming elections.