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Human rights lawyer Ruben Melikyan has warned of a coordinated online campaign targeting producer and public activist Ruben Mkhitaryan orchestrated by members and supporters of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party.

Earlier this week, Mkhitaryan announced his candidacy for mayor of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city. He will lead the My Strong Community party in the upcoming municipal elections on March 30.

"In the Gyumri elections, the current authorities should not succeed," he stated in a video message, expressing readiness to cooperate with other candidates who share his stance.

“Members and supporters of the ruling party have launched a coordinated online campaign against Ruben Mkhitaryan, a public figure who is running in the Gyumri local government elections. The participants of the campaign, including public servants, are posting identical offensive content on their social media pages,” Melikyan wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

"Obviously, this orchestrated hooliganism, involving ruling party supporters and public servants, extends beyond electoral competition and into the realm of criminal law. This campaign is a deliberate provocation aimed at turning the political race into a confrontation with the apparent goal of undermining the elections and extending the tenure of the acting mayor appointed by the ruling party," he stated.