Pashinyan-style justice responds much more swiftly to dissent than to  actual criminals - opposition MP

ArmInfo.  Pashinyan-style justice responds much more swiftly to dissent than to actual criminals. Hayk Mamijanyan, leader of the opposition parliamentary faction With Honor, shares this view.

At a briefing on November 14 in the National Assembly of the Republic  of Armenia, the opposition leader recalled that late that night, a  Yerevan court issued an unfounded ruling against the hosts of the  "Imnemnimi" podcast, Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan.  Journalist David Fidanyan of the website "Antifake" was also  detained. This morning, Ishkhan Khosrovyan, a journalist for the same  website, was also detained. Mamijanyan called for these events to be  viewed in two ways. First, we're talking about the violent  suppression of all dissent in the country using the law enforcement  and judicial systems, which is nothing new for RA Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan. Second, which is also hardly new, is the persecution  and pressure against opposition media outlets. Interestingly,  Mamijanyan continued, all of the Antifake website's equipment was  confiscated during the searches. Thus, the opposition leader  continued, the authorities' goal was not only to silence Saghatelyan  and Samosonyan, but also to shut down the media outlets.

Mamijanyan emphasized that international partners would be informed  of these facts. He expressed hope for an active external response to  the events in Armenia, which, as with the first arrest and subsequent  release of the bloggers, would again lead to their full  rehabilitation. "Freedom for all prisoners of war," the opposition  leader declared.

As a reminder, Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan, founders and  hosts of the "Imnemnimi" podcast, have been remanded in custody for  two months by a court decision. Lawyer Arsen Babayan announced Vazgen  Saghatelyan's arrest on his Facebook page. Judge Roman Smbatyan  granted the investigator's motion, remanding Saghatelyan in custody  for two months. The defense intends to appeal the court's decision to  the Court of Appeals. Judge Masis Melkonyan, in turn, sentenced Narek  Samsonyan to two months in prison in Armavir.

As a reminder, Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan were detained  on November 13 in Yerevan.  They are charged with hooliganism. The  bloggers were detained following searches of their homes. A complaint  against the bloggers was filed by Speaker of the Armenian Parliament  Alen Simonyan.  Furthermore, yesterday it was reported that the  AntiFake.am office was searched, and all equipment was seized. The  portal's journalist, David Fidanyan, was also detained for 72 hours  on suspicion of "obstructing justice."