Member of “No to Plunder” initiative, Maxim Sargsyan, believes that the Chairman of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin’s statement about the protests in Armenia regarding the electricity price hike is associated with their new impetus of the fight and the rally on September 11. Note that Bastrykin had announced that the protests in Armenia against the electricity price hike is supported by the West and has emphasized, “Recently, a situation had been created in Armenia which somewhat was similar to the events in Maidan in early 2014”. Maxim Sargsyan noted that Russians are making such a statement in advance so that as in the last time so as this time too, they would try showing the world that something like Maidan or some other things are going on in Armenia.
Later on, he reminded, “But the Russian media, physically being here, were convinced that they are presented completely different thing. It was said that the activists allegedly are armed, but they came and saw what sentiments and citizens are here. They are just trying to create an imitation that these are the regular games by the West, but we had purely a domestic issue, a demand from the authorities. Hence, these statements are merely fiddlesticks.” Note that the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee also emphasized, “In addition, there were people in the crowd holding the EU flags, who apparently were to show the protesters the way to the ‘bright future’, which Armenia would have if it had joined the EU rather than the EaEU.”
In this regard, Maxim Sargsyan noted that these flags were brought by the NSDU leader Paruyr Hayrikyan, which lasted only 3-5 minutes, because after the talks with him the flags were removed. Bastrykin also considers a Western support that the US Embassy to Armenia has issued a statement, in which it has expressed a “concern” over the so-called “acts of violence” used by the police during the dispersal of the rally. Maxim Sargsyan responded that it would be good for the Russian Embassy also to condemn the violence. “On June 23, there was a violence, which was responded not only by the US Embassy but also by many international organizations. And the Russian Embassy with its silence shows that it is in favor of violence. While condemning the violence does not yet mean supporting it.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
