Armenian PM says controversial recording involving former president is authentic

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has confirmed the authenticity of a recording circulated online in which former President Robert Kocharyan allegedly appeals to the leader of another country for assistance.

During a meeting with journalists on May 22, while addressing questions regarding the legal assessment of the recording, the PM said this is a real, original recording, and not a phone conversation, but a voice message, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“Robert Kocharyan personally left this voice message on the phone and sent it through an intermediary,” he noted, expressing surprise that neither civil society nor investigative journalists had verified it through expert analysis.

Pashinyan stressed that the recording appears to reflect an episode of political activity in Armenia coordinated by another country, which, he said, could have political consequences.

He was cautious about the need for a legal assessment, stating: “I am not sure this is about a legal assessment, because when we talk about an agent, we must understand that there are several levels — there is an influence agent who lobbies for the interests of a country. I am not sure our legislation provides for this, but at least it deserves a political assessment.”

Regarding potential criminal prosecution in cases involving work for foreign intelligence services or providing false information about citizenship, Pashinyan made it clear that the matter would be handled by law enforcement agencies.

“This is planned, and if I am not mistaken, there was a report on the initiation of a criminal case; it will be clarified in the criminal proceedings,” he added.

Earlier, a recording appeared online allegedly showing Armenia’s second president and leader of the Armenia bloc, Robert Kocharyan, appealing to a foreign country to “ensure my exit from the political arena.”

Kocharyan himself has dismissed the recording as a fake and the product of artificial intelligence.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov