Armenia election monitor accuses police of 'blackmail'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 3 April 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Armenia election monitor accuses police of 'blackmail', 3 April 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/519a6b3a38.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 03, 2013
By RFE/RL's Armenian Service
Armenian-American election monitor Narine Esmaeli
YEREVAN – An Armenian-American election monitor who raised claims of serious election fraud during Armenia's February 18 presidential election says she is being "blackmailed" by the authorities.
Narine Esmaeli, who works for the Armenian branch of the NGO Transparency International, said on April 2 that the investigator looking into her allegations of ballot-box stuffing called her and told her he had intimate photographs of her that he claimed he wanted to return to her.
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern met with Esmaeli on March 21 and the embassy issued a statement saying that it was following the case carefully.
Esmaeli's allegations led to the Constitutional Court declaring election results in the town of Artashat invalid.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website