The targeting of LGBT individuals and organisations continues in Armenia ahead of the elections.
The dissemination of manipulations about the LGBT community using various tools and tactics has been addressed by Verified (1, 2) and other fact-checking organisations.
The Pink human rights organization informed Verified that the targeting has intensified recently. The organization’s page is receiving offensive and threatening emails from unknown fake accounts. Additionally, false information is being spread, and we have studied some of these cases.
Sending emails from fake email addresses
Ahead of the EU–Armenia summit scheduled for May 4–5, an attack targeted an organisation advocating for LGBT rights. The perpetrators employed a phishing scheme. In April, the Pink organisation received an email at its official address from lilit.avetisyan[at]pinkarmenia[dot]com. The sender identified herself as Lilit Avetisyan.
Lilit Avetisyan is the former president of the organisation, and the address established in her name is fraudulent. The organisation’s official website operates solely on the .org domain. However, attackers created a similar domain using the same name but ending in .com, hoping recipients would overlook the difference.
The WHOIS database indicates that the domain was created on April 29, 2026, and it has been active for less than a month. Additionally, no website has been established under this domain name, suggesting it was acquired solely for the purpose of sending emails. Notably, over 600,000 other websites are hosted on the same IP address, and the domain is registered in Germany.
The content clearly indicates that the authors were seeking information about the organisation’s plans.
Furthermore, an analysis of the letter suggests that the individuals responsible for this action do not speak Armenian. The phrasing suggests that the text was translated by a machine.
Photocopy of the fake letter (provided by Pink NGO)
The letters we reviewed indicate an effort was made to disseminate information about a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports and Pink. Verified has chosen not to publish the letter to avoid spreading further disinformation; this serves as further factual proof that fraudsters are targeting both state institutions and NGOs simultaneously.
The above-mentioned letter was again sent from the fake address lilit[at]avetisyan[dot]pinkarmenia.com and was addressed to the principals of secondary schools. Other fake e-mail addresses are found in the letter, including the address info[at]pinkarmenia[dot]com.
Tamara Sargsyan, the Head of the Department of General Education at the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia, is mentioned in the letter as “Tamara Ashotovna Sargsyan.” It is noteworthy that on the official website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia, her name is listed as “Sargsyan Tamara Ashot,” which reflects the Armenian form of her name. The first version used in the letter is a Russian form of address.
In response to the letter, the ministry issued a refutation on May 7, stating: “We inform you that a fake message is being distributed to the official email addresses of public schools from an email account unaffiliated with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, in the name of Tamara Sargsyan, Head of the Ministry’s Department of General Education.
The Ministry officially states that the aforementioned email is disinformation and has no connection to the ministry,” the statement said.
Hripsime Kizogyan, executive director of Pink, told Verified that there is no cooperation between the organisation and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. Moreover, the NGO had applied to join the public council attached to the ministry, but its application was rejected. The ministry also told Verified that it does not cooperate with Pink Armenia under any program.
Fake letters to international influencers
In May, an Indian influencer couple reached out to Pink, informing them that they had received an invitation to visit Armenia during May and June. The purpose of the visit was to create videos focused on LGBT+ themes. They were told that the project was part of an international campaign involving representatives from various countries who would be visiting Armenia.
According to the influencers, the organisers provided several details that defined the campaign’s main theme as “visibility and openness of the LGBT+ community.” The initial trip date was set for May 17, but it was later rescheduled to early June. The program included a gathering of content creators in Yerevan and aimed to produce media materials about the city and its local culture. The organisers also indicated their willingness to cover travel expenses and pay participation fees, along with sending out a booklet titled “Yerevan is Calling You.”
Before giving their consent, the influencers sought to independently verify the project’s legitimacy and affinities, as certain aspects raised doubts. Notably, the brochure provided did not include the name of any organisation or responsible individual, and the project lacked an official website or social media presence. Furthermore, email communications did not mention any local Armenian partner organisations or coordinators. Additionally, participants were requested to provide payment details before receiving complete information.
One of the letters states that the campaign focuses on themes of openness, acceptance, travel, and human connection. It emphasises May 17 as a significant symbolic day for the LGBTQ+ community. The writer emphasises that it is crucial for this collaboration to feel authentic to the invitees and align with their values and style, rather than be seen as forced or fake advertising.
According to the communication data, the emails were sent from [email protected] (Anita Lila), while the author of the message identified herself as Annette. During the fact-checking process, an organisation called “Magic Influence” was found only on LinkedIn, where no substantial information was available. No public records were found regarding individuals named Anita Lila or Annette associated with a company under that name.
Excerpts from the influencer couple’s letters: The couple’s details have been removed to protect their identities.
The Pink organisation reported that similar proposals were sent to their colleagues in Moldova. These colleagues received emails and Telegram messages telling that a Pride event is scheduled to take place in Armenia. The messages emphasised the need to support this event and to create short videos about it. The Fact-Checking Platform had also reported on this matter.
Creating fake pages
In 2026, a page called “Armenian Queer Union” was created on the social media platform “X” (formerly Twitter). This page primarily shares AI-generated content about alleged LGBT+ events and developments in Armenia. For example, on May 4, the page reported that an LGBT+ public meeting had taken place in Armenia, but it did not. An analysis of the page’s followers reveals that none are Armenian.
In May of this year, the Pink NGO reported another fake page impersonating them on the “X” platform that also displayed a blue verification badge. Following an official complaint filed by the organisation, the social network removed this fraudulent page.
The facts indicate that the information campaigns surrounding LGBT+ topics are systematic. The perpetrators employ various methods, including sending fake letters on behalf of governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), inviting foreign influencers, and creating AI-generated fake social media pages. The organised spread of misinformation about cancelled events demonstrates that the intent behind these actions is to manipulate this topic deliberately for both domestic and international audiences.
