Oppositionist: Pashinyan  repressing the opposition to show Aliyev and Erdogan his loyalty to the agreements made with them 

ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is attempting to demonstrate his control within the country and his loyalty to the agreements reached with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President  Ilham Aliyev by detaining opposition figures, as stated Kristine Vardanyan, MP from the opposition faction "Armenia," in a conversation with journalists on July 9.

She noted that the deprivation of parliamentary immunity and arrests are part of a broader strategy, and not just pressure on the opposition. According to her, these actions are a result of the current geopolitical changes and the agreements that Pashinyan had reached with Aliyev and Erdogan.

In this vein, the MP pointed out that the increase in repression coincided with Pashinyan's recent visit to Turkey and his meeting with Erdogan. "It is not a coincidence that a meeting with Aliyev is also scheduled for July 10," she added.

She believes that the main goal of the ongoing events is to arrest all those  capable of ensuring public mobilization. "This is the crux of the campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and the detentions of the opposition. We must find a logical explanation for all the events taking place in the country, and if we start looking for them, we will understand that they stem from agreements with Azerbaijan and Turkey," Vardanyan is sure. The MP noted that under these conditions it should be acknowledged that the country is in the hands of an oppressive government, essentially operating as a dictatorship, leaving no immune to attacks.

"Each of us has a role to play in this fight. For opposition MPs, the situation in parliament (attacks from the ruling force - ed.) is also unpleasant, but they are aware of their responsibilities, which serve as a tool for them. And it would be illogical to refuse this tool, especially given the unequal balance of power in favor of the government," Vardanyan emphasized.

Touching upon the detentions of supporters of the "Sacred Struggle" movement, she noted that this should not only be seen as attacks on the Armenian Church, but as a campaign to destroy Armenian identity and a project to denationalize Armenia. "This is also being done to neutralize anyone who may pose a threat to increasing the influence of Turkey and Azerbaijan in the country and to unite society around a particular idea. Just as before the Armenian Genocide, the destruction of the Armenian elite began to suppress resistance, a similar method is now being observed - the eradication of anyone who could impede the implementation of Turkish-Azerbaijani programs," the MP noted.