NA deputy: Armenia`s current government effectively reduced  democratic values to zero

ArmInfo.  Armenia is facing a reality that is harming state institutions, undermining public trust, and hindering democratic progress, as noted by Mher Melkonyan, a member of the National Assembly from the "Armenia"  faction, in a post on his Facebook page. 

"Today in Armenia, there are people illegally detained or facing  criminal prosecution for their political views, beliefs, or dissent.  This is the painful reality of our political system, which cannot be  ignored or silenced.

However, the current government consistently declares that 'there are  no political prisoners in Armenia.' Unfortunately, this approach does  not solve the issue, but instead exacerbates public mistrust. Denying  reality will not make it disappear. Moreover, it has become  evident  in recent years that the government is using the entire judicial  system to achieve one supreme goal: maintaining and expanding its  power at any cost. This is no longer a matter of isolated cases, but  rather a systematic approach that seriously undermines the  foundations of the rule of law," the MP noted.

He added that the fact that Armenia currently has a female political  prisoner, Lidia Mantashyan, is even more alarming. The very existence  of this perception profoundly contradicts the definitions of  democratic values and demonstrates that the current government has  effectively reduced these values to zero. "When there is a perception  of political persecution against even one citizen, it means democracy  is under threat.  When this perception becomes widespread, it means  the government has lost both credibility and legitimacy. Democracy  only makes sense when the judiciary is independent, political  competition is free, and citizens are protected. When the government  turns the judiciary into an instrument of political pressure, state  institutions lose their main source of trust-citizens," the  parliamentarian noted.

Melkonyan emphasized the importance of  restoring genuine judicial  independence, eliminating all forms of political pressure, and  returning democracy to its core principles, rather than leaving it at  the level of formal declarations. Armenia's future, he stated, should  not be based on fear, pressure, or an obsession with maintaining  power at any cost.