Recently, Artistic Director of Vardan Ajemian State Drama Theatre of Gyumri Nikolay Tsaturyan had called Catholicos a devil over GALA TV. After Nikolay Tsaturyan’s these words, a big fuss was raised in the media and social networks, because, according to widespread rumors, Catholicos was offended, was angry at him and complained to Serzh Sargsyan to dismiss him from the chair of the Artistic Director of the Theatre.
In this respect, in the interview with Aravot.am, to our question whether Catholicos had the right to get offended from the opinion of the intellectual, and to what extent he shares Nikolay Tsaturyan’s standpoint about Catholicos, General Secretary of “Heritage” party Styopa Safaryan answered, “If it is not an abuse of personal character, or it was not said in this sense, then Catholicos should understand why not only Nikolay Tsaturyan but many others put a label on him. Every person must understand what facts and motivations are laid on the base of criticizing his personality, regardless of whether you accept them or not. I do not want to say that Catholicos earned the right to be offended, but Catholicos is not immune, nor indisputable, consequently his behavior and action may become worthy of criticism. Personally I do not accept his personality and his behavior.”
We clarified that you considered him a devil, Styopa Safaryan replied, “I do not want to say with those words. Whatever he does, or how he behaves in that status, is not the conduct of His Holiness.” We were interested that this Catholicos is criticized a lot, whether the society has become freer, or Catholicos is very vulnerable, Styopa Safaryan replied, “Both. Of course, transparency of information has increased, opinions are spread very quickly, and the information is open. I think the control has been increased, but the public has become matured and many taboos are already broken. For what they would be shy and would not dare to talk about before, now these taboos are no more available.”
Styopa Safaryan also said that if Catholicos thinks that he is slandered, he may apply to the court. “What are the courts for? The courts are not only for us to apply and be rejected. Let him apply to court.”
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Hripsime JEBEJYAN
