Armenian authorities prove quality of all before unlawfulness -  Larisa Alaverdyan 

ArmInfo. The current government in Armenia, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, has demonstrated that everyone is equal not only before the law, but also before lawlessness. This was stated by the first Ombudsman of Armenia Larisa  Alaverdyan in an interview with ArmInfo when asked to assess the persecution of opposition figures in the country.

The human rights activist stated that the actions of the ruling force in the country contradict the basic principles of the rule of law.

"What is happening now is lawlessness, unconstitutional and illegal. Both the perpetrators and organizers of these overt and demonstrative political repressions, which began in Armenia immediately after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan returned from Turkey, are well aware of this," the human rights activist emphasized.

Finding it difficult to answer whether this is a coincidence,  Alaverdyan expressed confidence that this government, judging by the results of its actions, serves the interests of the  Turkish-Azerbaijani genocidal policy towards Armenians. "Since 2018, this government has come to do what the President of Turkey and the President of Azerbaijan cannot do," the first ombudsman said.

Speaking about the mass detentions of oppositionists in the country on such serious charges as "terrorism", the human rights activist recalled the essence of the presumption of innocence, according to which the accused is considered innocent until proven guilty in court. "However, in the current situation, this concept apparently does not apply to the Prime Minister of Armenia, who is unleashing this very legal arbitrariness.  Unfortunately, all this is also supported by all organs and institutions of power. It is even more regrettable that women are actively participating in this process (the petition for criminal prosecution is submitted by the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan - ed.), thereby  fulfilling the unconstitutional and illegal instructions of the  leadership," the human rights activist noted.

Alaverdyan also drew attention to the fact that against the backdrop of what is happening in Armenia, there is no point in talking about legal processes and what is happening can essentially be easily qualified as legal chaos. "These authorities clearly understand that "civilized" Europe literally stands behind them.  Everything that this government does is a reflection of its so-called ideology, namely the policy of destroying the identity of the Armenian people," Alaverdyan is sure.

At the same time, the human rights activist emphasized that the violation of the principle of the presumption of innocence is just an episode in all these acts, which show signs of the most serious crimes listed in Chapter 28 "Crimes against the Constitutional Order and State Security, as well as the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia."

"The authorities in Armenia have turned away from the path of legal construction of the state, which is the constitutional goal, and  consistently carry out not just authoritarian actions, but  arbitrariness. Therefore, the most serious consequences can be and are already in Armenia. All this can be considered as an election campaign that has begun. This government is trying to pacify everyone, to make society immobile, incapable of protest. But I would like to quote an excerpt from one of the preambles of the General Declaration of Human Rights, which says: "The government and authorities must respect human rights so that desperate people do not rebel against the current government," the first ombudsman emphasized.

Alaverdyan noted that this tragic situation in which the people of Armenia find themselves is a consequence of the fact that not only the opposition and parliamentary forces, but also other movements have failed to consolidate. "But I believe that nothing has been missed in this regard. Here we need to talk only about the unity of all those who understand that they want to turn the country from a subject of international law into an object, that is, a territory for the arbitrary rule of Turkey and Azerbaijan," the first ombudsman of Armenia summed up.

The Prime Minister of Armenia launched a campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, and all those who disagree with it for one reason or another are taken into custody under the article. On June 18, philanthropist and president of the Tashir Group of Companies Samvel Karapetyan was detained and then taken into custody for 2 months after he expressed support for the Armenian Apostolic Church. He is accused of publicly calling for the seizure of power in the country. Karapetyan does not admit guilt. In addition, on June 25, 16 opposition figures and supporters of the "Sacred Struggle" movement, led by the movement's leader, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, were  taken into custody. They are accused of attempting to "seize power." And on June 28, the Yerevan Court of Primary Instance decided to arrest the head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, for two months. Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan is accused of calling for the violent overthrow of the government.  This was preceded by the penetration of law enforcement officers into the territory of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Detentions and arrests continue.