“We must get out of this deadlock either by forming a joint pan-Armenian agenda based on the demands of the movement, or sooner or later it will be formed without these authorities, they will become superfluous,” said member of the Union initiative and co-founder of the ArAr Foundation, Avetik Chalabyan, who has been detained since May 14, during an exclusive interview with Aravot from prison.
– Mr. Chalabyan, you have been detained since May 14. The court rejected the motion to change the measure of restraint. Many are surprised by such a unique attitude of the government towards you. In your opinion, why did you become the target of the government?
– First of all, since the 44-day war, the government has targeted dozens of figures who oppose its defeatist path. I would not single out anything special. In my case, it is more peculiar that all this was carried out in an organized or rather clumsy way, in some places through a humorous provocation, which has already given the opposite result, and if it continues, it will turn into a trial against those very authorities. I have no doubt about that.
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– The opposition struggle continues in France Square, the authorities assume that it will “wear out on its own.” In your observations, what stage has the Resistance movement reached? What fate awaits it?
– It must be clearly understood that the Resistance movement is not of a purely political, but existential nature, otherwise it would not have gained such momentum. For the same reason, it can be repaid only if its requirements, to one degree or another, are met. The current authorities’ idea that the movement can be extinguished is naive. Or I do not rule out that, in the end, the government will go to provocations against the movement, because in the presence of the latter, the implementation of its own losing agenda has become virtually impossible. And this has led to the fact that these authorities have found themselves in a deadlock. We must get out of this deadlock either by forming a joint pan-Armenian agenda based on the demands of the movement, or sooner or later it will be formed without these authorities, they will become superfluous.
– The statements of the representatives of different geopolitical poles give the impression that the collective West views Armenia as an opportunity for a second front against Russia. What can you say about this? How real is this danger?
– I must say with regret that our worst expectations were justified in the territory of Ukraine, the war escalated through the involvement of new weapons, and the intensification of mutual economic sanctions. In these circumstances, it is not ruled out that the North Atlantic Alliance will try to divert Russia’s attention, in particular, by creating tension in the South Caucasus, or use the opportunity to sharply reduce its influence in the region. This is what the so-called “peace agenda” actually serves, the ultimate goal of which is to withdraw the Russian armed forces not only from Artsakh, but also from Armenia in the future. In this sense, the current government in Armenia is playing a dangerous game, the consequence of which may be not only the loss of Artsakh and Syunik, but also the transformation of Armenia into a stage of geopolitical conflict, following the example of Syria and Ukraine.
The Resistance movement hinders it, so if we look at it in such a broad context, its positive impact is already visible, clearly emphasizing that the overwhelming majority of the Armenian population is against the handover of Artsakh. It constrains the current government and does not allow the government to go on a geopolitical adventure with catastrophic consequences for all of us.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
