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Public and political figure Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of the HayaKve initiative, has denounced the "disgraceful" prosecution of opposition figure Edgar Ghazaryan. calling it an attack on free speech.

Ghazaryan has been charged with defaming judges for their professional activities under Article 490 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, which carries a potential prison sentence of two to five years.

“It is disgraceful to prosecute someone simply for expressing their opinion, especially when it does not constitute hate speech but rather critical remarks,” Chalabyan told reporters outside a Yerevan court during a hearing on Ghazaryan’s measure of restraint on Saturday.

He dismissed the charges as politically motivated and accused the Armenian authorities of weaponizing law enforcement against their opponents.

"Instead of countering political speech with political arguments and engaging in debate, those in power have monopolized authority and are now using it as a tool to crack down on their opponents," Chalabyan said.