The approval of pre-trial detention for a woman accused of attempting to “kidnap” Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s son has triggered anti-government protests in Yerevan. 

Gayane Hakobyan, the mother of a soldier, who was killed during the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh, was detained on May 17 along with three other parents of fallen soldiers. While the other parents were later released, Hakobyan was charged with kidnapping.

According to the Investigative Committee, it was alleged that Gayane Hakobyan tricked Ashot Pashinyan, the son of the Armenian PM, into getting into her car. This happened after she and other grieving parents encountered him outside a court building in Yerevan. Ashot Pashinian stated that Hakobyan threatened him while discussing Armenian war casualties and drove him to the military cemetery in the city. It was reported that Ashot Pashinyan jumped out of the car shortly before being accidentally hit by another vehicle, as per the findings of the Investigative Committee.

Despite the denials and the protests from opposition figures and critics of the Armenian government, the court of first instance granted permission to the law-enforcement agency to detain Gayane Hakobyan for a period of up to one month.

The decision sparked anger among dozens of other relatives of killed soldiers who gathered outside the court building. Joined by hundreds of sympathizers, the protesters under the NGO named ‘the Call of Sons’ marched towards the city center, where they announced a nonstop sit-in outside the PM’s office. The protesters also marched near the French and Russian Embassies, calling on the ambassadors to take action in response to the arrest of the mother of a hero.

Representatives of Armenia’s major opposition groups criticized the arrest of Hakobyan, alleging that PM Nikol Pashinyan orchestrated it. MP Tigran Abrahamyan of the opposition “With Honour” bloc denounced the detention of Gayane Hakobyan on his social media account. 

“The ruling regime leader and his accomplices must be thrown in jail, not the mother of a fallen hero immorality targeted by the authorities,” he wrote.

Armenia’s first president, Levon Ter Petrosyan, also condemned the court’s decision to arrest Gayane Hakobyan. He expressed his disapproval by stating that “the arrest of a mother who lost her son on the battlefield is a greater disgrace. The responsibility and concern for easing internal political tension in Armenia should have primarily rested with the authorities. However, it appears that they are exacerbating this tension through their audacious and short-sighted actions. Our country will face a gloomier and potentially volatile future if this trend continues.” 

At the same time, Ter-Petrosyan emphasized the importance of acknowledging that indecent behavior towards the family members of government representatives is also unacceptable.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan has not made any public statements regarding the case.