A Not Subtle Step-by-Step Manipulation Deconstruction by Ruben Melikyan

Human rights advocate Ruben Melikyan writes on his Facebook page:

“First claim. A serious change has occurred globally in recent months — COVID-19 has emerged. It has affected everything, including the referendum, so we need to adapt to the new situation, change the laws, and cancel the referendum.

Second claim. Surveys indicate that the majority of citizens in Armenia demand a swift resolution to the 'Constitutional Court crisis.'

Firstly, I highly doubt that if participants in any survey were ever asked to list their top 10 concerns, even 1% would include 'the Constitutional Court issue' in that list. But that is not the most important thing. The most important question is: when were these incomprehensible surveys conducted? Before or after? Before COVID or after? It is obvious that it was before. But if it was before, and if you assert that with the arrival of COVID-19, everything in the world and in Armenia has changed, how do you refer to those surveys and claim that 'the Constitutional Court issue' concerns a significant number of Armenian citizens?”