The Government is Taking Personal Revenge: Human Rights Defender on Armen Ashotyan's Detention

First, it is essential to understand what is meant by power in Armenia. In legal countries, any body of the law enforcement system operating independently from the executive authority initiates a case against an individual who has committed a crime, such as the prosecutor's office or various investigative bodies. However, in Armenia, all power lies in the hands of the so-called Prime Minister, which includes the entire judicial system.

The pocket police, investigative bodies, and the prosecutor's office act on his directives. Speaking about the issue of Armen Ashotyan's detention by the government, Avetik Ishkhanian, the president of the Helsinki Committee and a human rights defender, stated in an interview with 24News, "And if anyone, for example, from the ruling party, commits a crime, then these agencies will do nothing until they receive instructions from the so-called prime minister. In the same way, the so-called prime minister, based on various circumstances and the fear of losing his power, engaged in a frenzy of personal revenge, orders these same bodies to fabricate cases and bring charges against certain figures. In this context, Armen Ashotyan's detention can also be seen. Armen Ashotyan is one of the fiercest critics of the so-called prime minister, and this detention decision has nothing to do with legal norms. It is merely an example of using state, or to be more precise, governmental leverage for personal revenge. Armen Ashotyan is a classic political prisoner."

Ishkhanian added, "During the years of power of Ashotyan and the Republican Party, I was one of their sharpest critics. But let’s note that during Ashotyan's tenure, Artsakh was not in danger. After the change of power in 2018, through lies and deceit—what they call a revolution—Ashotyan, unlike others, did not adapt and did not flatter the so-called prime minister, becoming one of his most vocal critics, especially regarding the Artsakh issue. Listening to and reading his speeches, you can feel that he truly suffers for Artsakh."

According to Ishkhanian, there are hundreds of political persecutions in Armenia after 2018. Fake charges are brought against individuals, they are detained, held in prison for some time, then their preventive measure is changed, they are released, but the criminal cases are not closed. Instead, they drag on for years without a verdict. "I believe the reason is that even judges loyal to the so-called prime minister hesitate to issue guilty verdicts in such fabricated cases, but they are also terrified of acquitting since they would end up behind bars themselves. Therefore, I am confident that Armen Ashotyan's 'charges' also have no prospects. Likely, in two months, or perhaps sooner, the preventive measure will change. Armen Ashotyan will find himself free, but the case will not be closed."

"On several occasions, I have said, and I will repeat again, that political prisoners should be defended not only legally, through lawyers, but also, first and foremost, through political resistance," concluded the human rights defender.