Continuous Arrests, Releases, How Long Can We Feed the Nation with Such Shows? Petrosyan

“I do not know how much political component there is there, how much legal component there is. I am a lawyer, I can neither assert nor deny it,” said Gagik Petrosyan, a member of the Armenian National Assembly from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), addressing reporters on December 5 regarding the charges brought against former President Serzh Sargsyan. He did not rule out the presence of a political element either.

“These recent trials, which are dragging, essentially reflect the behavior of the former authorities. What they accused the former authorities of, they are now doing the same. Continuous arrests, releases, how long can we feed the nation with such shows? The people have the right to see their lives improved through action, not promises. That is why a revolution was made. If the old habits were to continue, no one needed this revolution, except for a few people, who have seen visible progress in their lives,” the parliamentarian stated.

Commenting on the Republican Party's statement that the government is trying to silence Serzh Sargsyan with this, Petrosyan noted that he could not say to what extent the government has obligations towards Sargsyan. “Ultimately, one thing is true, that the power was transferred bloodlessly. That is why it is called a Velvet Revolution. But I do not consider this revolution to be velvet, because it is supposed that as a result of a velvet revolution, we should have a velvet, respectful, and appreciative society. However, today there is an unprecedented atmosphere of enmity in society,” he expressed hope that the next government would also come through a velvet path. When asked whether he sees the preconditions for a change of government, the BHK parliamentarian remarked, “No government is eternal. In January 2018, no one predicted that a revolution would occur in April.”