A Different Feeling When the System Transforms Before Your Eyes: Armen Grigoryan on His Arrest One Year Ago

The Secretary of the Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, recounted the events that took place one year ago on April 23, during his conversation with an investigator at the Special Investigation Service following the resignation of Armenia's third president, Serzh Sargsyan.

On his Facebook page, he specifically wrote:

"On the morning of April 23, I was in the holding cell for the arrested. A police officer entered the cell and told me to get ready because we were going out. Naturally, they were taking me to the SIS; it was a case spanning 8-10 years, and the continuation was yet unknown...

For two days, I had been preparing for the worst-case scenario, so I could calmly face everything. When we arrived at the SIS, they kept us for a long time in the police Gazelle, which indicated that there were many detainees and they couldn't proceed quickly. The conversation with the first investigator didn't last long because I insisted that I wouldn't be interrogated in the presence of Serzh's picture.

I was taken to another room with another investigator. We had a lengthy conversation. The investigator was trying to present the charges he had formulated while I was outlining the consequences of his actions for the state. I explained how everything could change, even though I had no hope for any change at that moment. Also present was Heriknaz Tigranyan, who was defending my rights.

At one point, I asked Heriknaz for her phone. She opened her Facebook page and handed it to me so that I could catch up on the news. In the silence of the room, the investigator was writing and deleting something while I was reading the news. Suddenly, I noticed the first status about Serzh's resignation and showed the phone to the investigator, saying, 'Read this.' The investigator read it, and his expression changed dramatically. He took the phone, scrolled through it, probably to confirm the news was accurate, then returned the phone and began typing something on the computer, likely wanting to verify the news online. From that moment, everything began to change...

I often say that I witnessed the revolution from the inside; it's a different feeling when the system transforms before your very eyes.

Within a few minutes, the atmosphere, attitudes, and manner of addressing changed beyond recognition. After that, I remained in the SIS for about four hours. At some point, I was taken down to the lower floor, where I spent about an hour with the police officers. Their attitude was entirely different; we even shared a meal together, and they asked how we managed to achieve all of this. Around 8 p.m., they told me I would be released with a signature. I went upstairs, signed the papers, and they returned all my belongings to me. I sat down in the hall, lowered my head, and began to weave my thoughts. I was lost in my thoughts when a police officer approached me and asked, 'Will our salaries be raised too?' Perhaps he was the first to guess what position I would occupy. I lifted my head, smiled, and replied that this revolution is for everyone and is a struggle for the well-being of all."