The Republican Party of Armenia Issues a Statement

The Executive Body of the Republican Party of Armenia has issued a statement, which we present below:

“Against the backdrop of the rampant coronavirus pandemic and the deepening health, social, and economic crisis in the country, the extension of the declared state of emergency in Armenia is being used by this government solely to provide legal cover for political persecutions.

In this situation, fundamental human rights and freedoms are being restricted and violated, from the right to free speech to the rights to peacefully assemble and move freely.

For the authorities, the predominant concern has become not the future of the people and the state, but the obsession with prolonging their own authoritarian power at any cost, as evidenced by the new wave of visible political persecutions in recent days.

Armenia is now facing not only a pandemic but also a political crisis.

Considering the aforementioned circumstances, the Republican Party of Armenia:

• Strongly condemns the ongoing tyrannical practices that have led to many state, political, and public figures falling victim to the state’s repressive apparatus.
• Notes that in this way, the authorities are inflicting harm on the security of Armenia and Artsakh, making us vulnerable to external threats.
• Reiterates that the only smooth way out of the current situation is the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan's powerless government and the establishment of a functional and professional transitional governance to pull the country out of the crisis, ahead of extraordinary parliamentary elections.
• Calls on the diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia and international human rights organizations to adequately assess the crisis created in Armenia, particularly in the context of the country's international obligations in the field of democracy.
• Considers it a duty to inform all available opportunities about this statement to the Republican Party’s international partners.”