cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/44050202
The pro-Russian Matryoshka disinformation network has launched a new campaign against Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of the country’s June 2026 parliamentary elections.
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The bots are spreading videos on X and BlueSky disguised as content from Western media outlets. These clips criticize Pashinyan for “destroying Armenia’s cultural code” and “imposing non-traditional values of tolerance.” They also accuse his administration of threatening opposition journalists and bloggers, as well as promoting an “unrealistic and dangerous” plan to create a “Fourth Republic.” The term refers to a declaration proposed by Pashinyan at the congress of his Civil Contract party and adopted by a vote of the participants. The document envisions extending the current government’s mandate for another five years after the 2026 parliamentary elections, adopting a new constitution through a referendum, formally renouncing Armenia’s territorial claims to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), and pursuing a course toward joining the European Union.
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The bots have also shared AI-generated images of Pashinyan being humiliated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (including one in which Erdoğan forces Pashinyan to kiss his knee), and U.S. President Donald Trump. In one of the fake photos, Pashinyan is shown cleaning up trash in front of the White House.
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[In September 2024, Pashinyan confirmed that the country would go ahead with its plans to join the EU in spite of warnings from Russia.]