VIDEO. I address all those insults word by word, letter by letter to them. Hrachya Hakobyan to the residents of Syunik

This was the response to Nikol Pashinyan's one-hour speech, and those circles that were unable to counter in any substantive way went to this measure, gathering 30-40 hooligans in one place to organize these distorted, insubordination actions. This was noted by Hrachya Hakobyan, a member of the ‘My Step’ faction in the National Assembly, during a conversation with reporters in the parliament on April 22, addressing the events that took place during the Prime Minister's visit to the Syunik region in Meghri and other cities.

“They want to discredit Nikol Pashinyan with this, they want to create the impression that they can utter such insulting remarks and that goes unanswered. I want to say now that those insults do not go unanswered. I can say as a member of the political team, as well as a member of Nikol Pashinyan's family, they are traitors, they are capitulators, and all the remaining insults they directed — I address to them word by word, letter by letter. I just can't express such remarks on air. I direct all of this at these people, their political fathers, and those who give orders,” he said.

When asked who these people's political fathers are, Hrachya Hakobyan said, “There can be different circles. These are the people who appear in different places with the same face. It is clear to me that this was a coordinated action because the same faces are in Yerevan, in Syunik, and tomorrow it could be in Tavush, the same people would be there.”

Hrachya Hakobyan admitted that there are, of course, people in Syunik who are dissatisfied with the authorities. “But these people do not behave like hooligans, and yesterday we saw hooligan behavior. Yes, they need to be detained and subjected to processing because they are insulting citizens of the Republic of Armenia. In 2018, no insults were directed at the authorities. If in 2016 Ashotyan was to be punished for a known offensive word, then let them be punished. If a person was supposed to be punished for saying 'privet Rob', let them be punished, not just act like vigilantes,” he added.

He also referred to the activities of the 17 forces, stating, “These people had four months to generate public sentiment and oust us from power. But do you know what happened? I address my remarks to Vazgen Manukyan, Gegham Manukyan, and Ishkhanik Saghatelyan. They had time to mobilize the people, they failed, and now like Mowgli’s jackals, they are looking for a convenient opportunity to appear wherever something happens. They say they are next to the people of Syunik. You are not next to the people of Syunik; you are next to the hooligans. Wherever insults are heard, threats are made, where they say that Nikol Pashinyan must be removed, you say, ‘We are with those people.’ Because you are hooligans, you are like Mowgli’s jackals looking for a convenient opportunity to gather and say, ‘Akela has missed’ — gather yourselves once,” he stated.

When asked if the ruling force has a chance to gather sufficient votes in Syunik, he replied, “This episode showed that they have even more because this behavior is that of a loser. If they are confident that they will win the elections, they will go to the polls calmly. But seeing that they have no chance of winning, they are taking such steps. They are engaged in stealing power, they want to use the right moment and steal power from the people. This is my conclusion.”

Regarding the fact that Nikol Pashinyan is accompanied by hundreds of police officers, Hrachya Hakobyan noted, “Yes, he needs to be accompanied by hundreds of police officers, snipers, because staged performances regarding the assassination of the Prime Minister and his wife are being made in the squares, calls for the physical elimination of the Prime Minister are coming from the squares. Hrachya Hakobyan emphasized that during the meeting at the Syunik Governor’s office, the Prime Minister deemed it advisable to instruct that crime be punished, which cannot be viewed as interference in the work of law enforcement. ‘He is also their Prime Minister, and they should not be subjected to vigilante justice in the toilets of Poplovok but should answer according to the law,’” he concluded.