Expert: The arrest of opposition figures in Armenia for social media posts is a systematic attempt to intimidate the public and suppress dissent.

ArmInfo. The arrest of activist Artur Danielyan and the detention of honored cultural figure Vahram Sahakyan two weeks earlier are not random or isolated incidents: this is a systematic campaign to intimidate the public and suppress dissent. This was written on his Facebook page by information security expert and head of the Yerevan Press Club Artur Papyan.

"In both cases, we see the same dangerous pattern: their Facebook posts from several months ago are included in the case, proving that law enforcement agencies do not respond promptly to real threats, but "accumulate" the words of critics in order to disseminate them at a convenient time according to political instructions. "Arrest, as a preventative measure, is used in cases involving social media posts, while open threats and incitement to hatred against opposition figures go completely unpunished," Papyan noted.

According to him, when critical speech is criminalized, freedom of speech becomes a fiction, and the state loses its democratic integrity.

"We cannot remain silent. Human rights organizations, civil society, and international institutions must provide a clear and unambiguous assessment of these violations. If we tolerate such precedents today, tomorrow any citizen's opinion on Facebook could become a criminal case," he concluded.

It's worth noting that this is not the first time law enforcement agencies have detained opposition figures for their social media posts. It is noteworthy that pro-government figures can write absolutely anything they want with impunity.