On February 7, the ruling Civil Contract party successfully removed three opposition members from Yerevan's municipal council, aided by two councilors who were summoned to an Armenian law-enforcement agency the day before.

The dismissed opposition figures consist of former Mayor Hayk Marutyan, whose party secured second place in the municipal election last September, and two councilors affiliated with the radical opposition “Mother Armenia” alliance.

Civil Contract and its local coalition partner, the ʽRepublic partyʼ, maintain that they cannot continue to participate in the city council due to their frequent absence from council sessions and votes. However, the opposition forces refute this explanation, asserting that their absence was justified and part of legitimate boycotts aimed at challenging Mayor Tigran Avinyan's decisions.

Former mayor Hayk Marutyan and numerous activists, along with another councilor from Marutyan's team, Grigor Yeritsyan, dismissed the accusations as politically motivated. Additionally, the councilor Yeritsyan stated that the mayor of Yerevan should step down, attributing full responsibility for the failed administration and the atmosphere of hatred in the council.

Read also: Pashinyan's Party Failes to Hold Majority in Yerevan Elections