Key facts
- Armenia's parliament passed a law restricting voting rights for citizens living abroad.
- To vote in regular elections, citizens must have resided in Armenia for at least half of the preceding two years.
- For snap elections, the residency requirement is 28 days prior to the vote.
- The law was passed following allegations of Russian interference in a recent election.
- Civil society organizations have criticized the law as unconstitutional.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law that significantly raises the threshold for citizens living abroad to be eligible to vote in national elections. Under the legislation, individuals must have resided in Armenia for at least half of the preceding two years to participate in regular elections, with a shorter 28-day requirement for snap elections. This move comes after reports suggested that Russia attempted to influence the June 7 election by mobilizing Armenians residing in Russia to sway the vote. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party, which won the election, stated the law aims to ensure that only citizens familiar with the country's challenges can vote. However, a coalition of Armenian civil society organizations has denounced the law, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to democratic principles.