The Authority Seeks to Silence Political Opponents through Criminal Cases: Arthur Vanetsyan

Arthur Vanetsyan, the leader of the "Honorary Right" faction of the Armenian National Assembly, along with the faction's secretary Haik Mamijanyan, met on November 4 with the rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for Armenia, Kimo Kylunen and Boriana Aberg. This was reported by the press service of the National Assembly.

Vanetsyan discussed the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan and its consequences. He emphasized that Turkey also actively participated in the war. Arthur Vanetsyan deemed the immediate return of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan, as stipulated in the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, as urgent. In this context, he highlighted the importance of support from all international partners to compel Azerbaijan to return the captives.

Addressing security issues, the parliamentarians expressed concern regarding Azerbaijan's ambitions towards Armenia's sovereign territories, the use of force, and anti-Armenian propaganda, which do not contribute to the establishment of peace in the region.

The MPs voiced their positions on processes occurring within the country's political landscape following the snap parliamentary elections. It was noted that two opposition MPs are currently imprisoned, and numerous criminal cases have been initiated against members of the two opposition factions in the National Assembly. According to Arthur Vanetsyan, the authority is trying to silence political opponents through criminal cases, as well as to restrict the free movement of these MPs, thereby obstructing their ability to participate in official duties related to their parliamentary activities.

At the request of the guests, Arthur Vanetsyan and Haik Mamijanyan addressed issues related to electoral reforms, the judicial system, the independence of the media, and concerning concerning restrictions on freedom of speech.