Abrahamyan: If Problematic Details Arise From Phone Conversation, Pashinyan Would Initiate Process Against Serzh Sargsyan and Onik Gasparyan

Considering the fact that the circulation of information regarding the phone conversation between Chief of General Staff Onik Gasparyan and former President Serzh Sargsyan has become a subject of active discussions in the context of internal political developments, let us attempt to examine it from several angles. Firstly, it should be noted that the interested parties have neither denied nor confirmed the phone conversation as a fact, which already provides grounds for analysis. This was stated by Tigran Abrahamyan, the head of the "Henaket" analytical center, on his Facebook page.

"Let us assume that Serzh Sargsyan and Onik Gasparyan had a phone conversation with an open line. It is obvious that neither of them is naive and could not exchange information that would be considered a criminal act for either of them. I believe that for both of them, the issue of speaking on an open line is not so much about the possible wiretap by the NSS of Armenia, but rather about the special services of those countries that could pose national security problems for our country by possessing such information.

Secondly, regardless of the current government’s attitude toward Presidents Serzh Sargsyan or Robert Kocharyan, and vice versa, during or after the wartime, the conversation of the Chief of General Staff over the phone or through a meeting, even if mediated, is a natural process. Shouldn't Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan, who have held key positions in Artsakh and Armenia since independence, have the right to give valuable advice or hints? Moreover, even after their presidency, they should support Armenia and Artsakh within the bounds of their capabilities and resources.

The same applies to the presidents of Artsakh, and it is no coincidence that during wartime, the former presidents of Armenia and Artsakh met, set aside their disputes, and offered their services to the current authorities for the sake of Armenia and Artsakh.

If Nikol Pashinyan has long been aware of the content of that phone conversation, meaning that the NSS wiretapped it and transferred it to him, then in the presence of any minimum amount of problematic details, Pashinyan would have long used the opportunity and initiated legal proceedings against Serzh Sargsyan and Onik Gasparyan.

So why did Nikol Pashinyan remain silent at the time—to hold onto Onik Gasparyan as a kompromat, or is he afraid of falling into the famous story of Hrayr Tovmasyan’s pen and becoming completely discredited? In short, I repeat: the conversation between Serzh Sargsyan and Onik Gasparyan has neither been confirmed nor denied so far, but if it did happen, I do not see anything extraordinary in it.

I do not consider it a problem at all if the conversation between Onik Gasparyan and Serzh Sargsyan did not concern state-level issues but rather stemmed from purely human contacts and relationships. And that is not a reason to slander a person, to call them a traitor, let alone to dismiss them from office. It is shameful; be a little more masculine," wrote Abrahamyan.