VIDEO: This is Political Persecution. Shahnazaryan on Being Summoned by the NSS

“I consider all of this to be political persecution.” This statement was made by David Shahnazaryan, a candidate from the Republican Party, during a conversation with journalists regarding the National Security Service (NSS) summoning him in connection with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s claims about conceding Artsakh.

“Last night around 21:45, I received a call from an NSS officer who asked when I would be home because there was something urgent to deliver. I said it was too late and they should come in the morning. The reason I decided to go is quite frankly if it were another law enforcement agency, I would just tear that paper up; a similar situation occurred recently when the Special Investigation Service sent me something, that’s a different story,” he recounted.

“The document provided by the NSS states that during the press conference on November 27, I made certain statements, particularly that the current government, led by its commander Nikol Pashinyan, is implementing a policy that I have defined as the authority over Artsakh. If I made that statement on the 27th, why are you summoning me now since the Prime Minister announced it yesterday?”

“Yesterday during my press conference, I stated that if any word in all my statements does not correspond to reality, the Prime Minister should come on H1 tonight and correct those errors. Effectively, the Prime Minister has said that I should go discuss the Artsakh issue at the NSS.”

“Why was I planning to go to the NSS? I have led that agency, and it has been 23 years, and if you have noticed, I have not given any negative assessment of that agency in 23 years. Today in Armenia, there are no law enforcement agencies; they are punitive institutions that have nothing to do with the state and only defend Nikol Pashinyan's interests. This is political persecution, not only against me. This is an attempt to intimidate those who are ready to vote for the Republican Party,” he concluded.