Report Scenarios Knowledge Base Events Sources Andranik Tevanyan Type person Country Armenia Homepage https://www.elections.am/ Description Opposition politician and candidate on Gagik Tsarukyan’s electoral list, focus of Russian-backed espionage investigation Suspicion label: possible_russian_alignment. Russian influence role: target of espionage investigation. Suspicion basis: Focus of investigation described as first-ever investigation of Russian-backed espionage. Aliases Andranik Norik Tevanyan Андраник Теванян Անդրանիկ Թևանյան Անդրանիկ Թևանյանը Related claims (13) Armenia launches what appears to be first-ever investigation of Russian-backed espionage focusing on opposition politician Andranik Tevanyan Andranik Tevanyan has been arrested. Candidate Andranik Tevanyan faced criminal charges and was arrested; CEC received a request to allow criminal prosecution. Andranik Tevanyan, number 2 on the Barev Yerevan party proportional list, was detained for two months by court decision. Opposition politician Andranik Tevanyan was detained for two months in Yerevan, Armenia. Andranik Tevanyan, leader of the Mother Armenia party and parliamentary candidate from Prosperous Armenia, has been detained on charges of treason and espionage allegedly related to passing state secrets to foreign special services, including Russian actors, receiving $622,000 reportedly in return. Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office has submitted a motion to the Central Electoral Commission seeking approval to initiate criminal proceedings against MP candidate Andranik Tevanyan. The Security Service of Armenia detained Andranik Tevanyan, leader of the Mother Armenia party. Andranik Tevanyan was detained and remanded in custody for two months during election-related legal proceedings in May 2023. Andranik Tevanyan’s Mother Armenia Party is overtly pro-Russian and opposes Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Mother Armenia Party proposes changing the voting system to be more representative by lowering the threshold to enter parliament to 1%, enabling coalition governments. Opposition figures like Andranik Tevanyan have been detained by NSS; the statute charged against Tevanyan could apply broadly to journalists disseminating information. The RA Prosecutor General's Office has applied to the Central Electoral Commission for permission to prosecute Andranik Tevanyan, Mother Armenia party leader.