Murad Papazyan intends to fight by all legal means to restore his  right to return to Armenia - statement

ArmInfo. Murad Papazyan, member of the bureau of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun party, co-chairman of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF),  intends to fight by all legal means to restore his right to return to  Armenia. This is stated in the statement of Papazyan, which was  distributed by the ARF party.

"Two weeks after Nikol Pashinyan's system banned me from entering  Armenia, I have to state with regret that this decision of the  authorities does not have a serious legal basis. For known reasons,  being an unwanted person in Turkey and Azerbaijan, I was also marked  as an "undesirable person" in Armenia. The National Security Service  for the first time refused to give an explanation, saying that the  ban on my entry into the country was related to my personal life.  However, on July 22, the Prime Minister's office stated that the  reason for the ban was my participation in the protest against Nikol  Pashinyan on June 1, 2021 in Paris and the organization of this  action", the politician noted.

He noted that until July 13, 2022, he entered Armenia without  hindrance 4 times. Moreover, the relevant authorities of Armenia did  not present any claims to the French authorities against the  participants or organizers of the June 1, 2021 demonstration.  <Violating the fundamental principles of any state of law, the  presumption of innocence and freedom of speech, the Armenian  government decided to ban me from entering Armenia on July 13, 2022,  without any legal grounds. And the reality is that I did not  participate in this demonstration and did not organize it. The  presence of a different point of view is the only principle that  pushed Nikol Pashinyan to such a decision with a position befitting a  dictatorial regime. I reject this decision and demand my right to  return to Armenia. Armenia is not the property of Nikol Pashinyan and  his regime. Armenia is the homeland of every Armenian, where every  Armenian can enter, even if he is in opposition to the authorities.  And precisely for this reason, I decided to legally restore my right,  for which I entrusted my defense to the NA member Artsvik Minasyan  representing me and the lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, whom I authorize to  act correctly. On July 25, Artsvik Minasyan already sent a letter to  the National Security Service on this issue, demanding that this  decision be reconsidered. Legally, the NSS has 5 days to respond to  the letter, on the basis of which we will decide on further actions,"  Papazyan stressed. 

He added that in two weeks he received thousands of messages of  support from Armenia and the Diaspora, from people with different  political positions, all of whom protested against Pashinyan's  anti-democratic decision. <Opposition to such a decision stems from  love for Armenia and is a rejection of the government's deviation  from democracy, as well as a reminder of the basic principles of the  rule of law.  Armenia should return to its status of a constitutional  state. I will fight with all legal means to restore my right to  return to Armenia>, Murad Papazyan said.