What Happened in April 2018 in Armenia Happened with Great Support from Outside: Serzh Sargsyan

The third President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, discussed the events of April 2018 in a conversation with film director Mher Mkrtchyan, revealing that foreign forces supported the occurrences of that period.

- Mr. President, this situation is very strange for me, because I have never interviewed any former or current president of the country. To be honest, I have never conducted an interview with anyone. I feel much more comfortable standing on the other side of the camera; that is my profession. But on the premiere day, you promised to answer all my questions, even if our conversation lasts until late at night. I couldn't miss that opportunity. I am very curious about this. My questions are divided into seven parts; it is customary for me to work with a script. The first part of the questions is about your resignation.

Many of my acquaintances, Mr. President, from those who marched into the streets in 2018 demanding your resignation, now blame you for giving away power. They say, 'Well, we didn't understand, but the president should have understood.' I think about that question. You had analysts; you had the NSS; it was a powerful structure. Why did you allow it, Mr. President? How can these people be answered? Yes, you are accused of giving away power.

- I am not surprised that people ask such questions; I consider it natural. What are they supposed to do, blame themselves? Should they say that they were the ones who went into the streets, that they were the ones who blocked the streets, that they were the ones making noise?

- However, Mr. President, did you understand at that time whether there would be such a national disaster or not?

- Of course, when I say that people had to blame someone, it does not mean that I do not consider myself guilty of this. Certainly, I did not imagine that such consequences could emerge. I understood well that this movement was an anti-Karabakh movement. I understood very well that for years, people were convinced that Armenia was a non-developing country, that corruption had reached unthinkable levels, that injustice was limitless, and so on. But that there could be such a disaster, of course, I could not predict. I understood that, yes, there could be problems; I understood that if the main negotiators in the negotiation process changed, the solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue would go in a different direction - the likelihood was high. That is what I thought.

- I don't know, maybe it's easy to speak three years later, but now recalling the Radio House, for example (the Radio House is a strategic object), when they entered and took over the Radio House, you don't even need to be a lawyer to understand that there were all grounds for arresting Nikol. And now looking at those same people, why didn't you arrest them after they seized the Radio House?

- Yes, it is obvious that a crime occurred. But I looked at the issue in a broader context; I viewed it from a different angle because they were few in number, and there was no prediction that this movement could grow, gain the momentum and scale that it later acquired. We decided that it could resemble scenarios in other countries where arrests or the use of force resulted in those movements taking on an entirely different nature. That was the only reason for not carrying out the arrest.

We thought it might be a trap, a trap for him to be arrested, then to be heroized, and based on that, the movement would gain momentum.

- A question I cannot avoid asking, Mr. President: in my film, the police chief says, 'Give me an hour, and the city will return to normal life.' I cannot help but ask, was that a director's temptation, did the police chief actually say something like that to you?

- That is a bit exaggerated. But if we had made the decision to use force, we would certainly have acted that way. Initially, we did not have such a decision because we thought that the correct approach would be to gently guide the movement towards fading, especially since we had experience. Let’s remember 'Electric Yerevan,' let’s remember the takeover of the Police Patrol Service, and other instances where the number of participants involved was significantly higher, but nevertheless, we managed to lead those movements towards fading without any serious use of force. I again emphasize - yes, at any moment, I stress - at any moment, force could have been used to resolve the issue. But if we had tried to use force on April 19, 20, 21, or 22, then I think the consequences would have been very severe. Remember how many children and women were among the demonstrators, and that is why we refrained from doing so.

- Many times, when trying to answer the same question in communication with my friends, I say, 'But blood would have been shed,' and they turn around and say, 'Didn’t blood flow? Look how much blood was shed.' In any case, I don’t like going back in history and answering questions knowing everything now, because in 2018, everything seemed from the perspective of 2018. However, if you had known that it would be like this, would you have used force?

- If I had known it would be like this, I would have taken any measures to prevent it. I just stepped aside so that those people could build the country they dreamed of. I could not imagine that their dream would be something else or that they would be so incompetent. I could not predict such disgrace.

Once again, I repeat, I was convinced that the country should have moved in a completely different direction; don’t doubt that. But that there would be such consequences from the 'dumb-dumb-huh's...'

- We will talk about that too; I have questions regarding that as well, Mr. President. But...

- Perhaps at first, you could say how many questions you have so I don’t answer one of your questions with another question.

- No, I will just say that I have that question. I am a screenwriter, forgive me, yes, everything should be divided like that with its developments.

Returning to my first phase of questions regarding resignation, Mr. President, I have lived 27 years in Russia; I became a citizen of Armenia in 2010 and have lived in Armenia since 2016. After living 27 years in Russia, I know very well, I realize that the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to put it mildly, hates any form of revolution. No matter what revolution it is, he hates revolution as a phenomenon. How is it that in 2018 our strategic ally, Russia, did not assist you, not by force, at least in respect, through some messages, statements? No one helped you, not only Russia. I had the impression that the whole world was silent, it seemed that it was convenient for everyone for a change of power in Armenia. Why? In other words, what was against you? If I ask the question more straightforwardly, why were all interested? And now in 2021, I can form some understanding based on the consequences, but I would like to hear from you why?

- I believe no one doubts that what happened in April 2018 in Armenia happened with great support from outside. I am often asked, 'With whose support?' The answer is very simple: by all those forces whose visions for the development of Armenia do not coincide with ours. Firstly, our allies and partners generally believe that there are three options to support or not support. One option is when the leader of a given country congratulates a person or political force that comes to power as a result of elections in another country. That is one option. The second is when the foreign offices of those countries make statements. And the third option is when those countries direct the forces, individuals, etc., that are under their influence in a specific country.