Connections of the 'Dukhov Hayastan' Page Administrator with the Republican Party

fip.am: The "Fact-Checking Platform" has been able to establish that the controversial Facebook page "Dukhov Hayastan" is managed by Armen Ab, who is linked to the Republican Party.

The "Fact-Checking Platform" of the "Informed Citizens' Union" has previously addressed fake pages multiple times and has shown with examples how certain publications from such pages influence gullible readers.

In the Armenian domain, the Facebook page "Dukhov Hayastan" (later renamed "Dukhov Hayastan Open Society") stands out, with its administrator being reported arrested by the Director of the National Security Service, Arthur Vanetsyan, on April 5.

About the Page's Publications

Unlike other pages, the "Dukhov Hayastan" page often features provocative posts, some of which can be interpreted as attempts to sow enmity and create an atmosphere of hatred. The page has been particularly prolific in publishing false information about Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, Alen Simonyan, and Daniel Ioannisyan.

Specifically, the page includes posts claiming that Armenian citizens were killed by sniper fire at the Iranian border, or that a soldier from the 102nd Russian military base killed a 3-year-old child. Even more dangerous are the publications regarding armed participation in a protest on August 17, 2018, or posts about disabling and destroying gas safety systems. This page had even published about drug sales using the phone number of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Alen Simonyan.

The Page Administrator

Last year, a criminal case was initiated under Article 226 of the Criminal Code at the National Security Service regarding the dissemination of religious enmity through the "Dukhov Hayastan" page. On April 5, NSD Director Arthur Vanetsyan announced that the administrator of the page had been arrested. Days later, that individual was also detained.

According to official information from the NSD's investigative department, the administrator of the "Dukhov Hayastan" page is Armen Avagyi Ab, a citizen of Armenia and Iran, born in 1979, who is registered in Yerevan. Ab last posted on his Facebook page on April 5, the day of his arrest.

Connections with Former Authorities

Ab has actively commented on and disseminated information related to the Republican Party. Observations of his Facebook activity reveal that Ab had personal contacts with former Republican Party MP Shushan Petrosyan. He has also intensively liked the Facebook posts of Republican officials.

He also has a photo with the editor of the newspaper "Iravunk," owned by former Republican MP Hayk Babukhanyan, and with Lilit Khachaturova, a member of the "Reformists" party associated with former President Robert Kocharian.

Lilit Khachaturova, whose real name is Lilit Khachaturi Hovakimyan, participated in an anti-government flash mob on October 26, 2018, which was misleadingly organized. Ab may also have connections with certain governing forces in Artsakh. This is evidenced by a protest that took place on February 26 this year at Freedom Square, which the "Fact-Checking Platform" addressed, showing its connection to the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh. Ab was one of the active participants in that demonstration and demanded on behalf of the organizers that drones not film the protest.

Anti-Soros Sentiment

In February, the "Dukhov Hayastan" page was renamed to "Dukhov Hayastan Open Society," hinting that it is backed by George Soros's "Open Society Foundations."

Notably, Ab shared a call on his personal page to gather in front of Yerevan State University to take a selfie with Nikol Pashinyan (emphasizing the words "open society") and interpreted it as a call for civil clashes and violence by the "Soros followers" (as at the same time, Narik Malayan also held a press conference in front of YSU). However, as it turned out, the call did not come from the "Soros followers," but rather from Armen Ab himself.