It is Unreasonable to Expect Russia to Be More Pro-Armenian than Our Negotiator: Haik Mamijanyan

If our negotiator is pursuing an anti-Armenian policy, it is unreasonable to expect that Russia will be more pro-Armenian than our negotiator. This statement was made by Haik Mamijanyan, the leader of the youth wing of the Republican Party of Armenia and a representative of the "I Have Honor" bloc, during a press conference held on June 13.

According to him, Russia has had a significant impact on regional processes over the past year, and this cannot be overlooked. He added that Russia is the most important actor in the region and, crucially, Armenia's strategic partner. "There is no doubt about that. At the same time, we have said that all possible international platforms must be utilized for the return of prisoners, from the European Parliament to the UN," Mamijanyan noted.

The fact that Armenian Public Television did not broadcast their campaign video yesterday indicates that the "I Have Honor" bloc is one of the most likely winners of the upcoming elections. Mamijanyan stated that the number of supporters for the bloc is continuously growing, and observing this, the authorities have directed their entire repressive apparatus against the bloc. He reminded that when bloc representative Armen Ashotyans released a statement regarding the actions of Public Television, the channel appealed to the Central Electoral Commission, the Ombudsman, and the Television and Radio Commission of Armenia, reporting political pressure.

"It turns out that political censorship in Armenia only operates against opposition political forces. On Public Television, one can talk about Tigranashen being an Azerbaijani settlement, but they cannot broadcast a video of the third president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, discussing livestock. Apparently, Public Television has decided that this refers to a person who occupies the prime minister's chair and the most unpopular oligarch, Grzo, and that the video is not worth broadcasting. If it relates to defamation or insult, Public Television could have aired the video, and the subjects attributing such statements could file lawsuits, and we could respond to their questions in court," Mamijanyan added.

He has called for a boycott of the rally organized by the authorities on June 21.