I am not a supporter of Samvel Karapetyan. And if he truly intends to enter Armenian politics — as the government’s propaganda insists — I believe that would be a mistake. But for me, the key issue is not our Moscow-based compatriot himself (whose achievements, to be clear, deserve respect), but something far more fundamental: the rule of law, democracy, and freedom of speech.
Let’s begin with words. What did Karapetyan actually say?
“We will participate in the defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church in our own way.”
How is that a call to seize power? Because it felt that way to Pashinyan in a moment of emotional strain? But in addition to the Prime Minister, we also have investigative bodies, a prosecutor’s office, and courts. Or do we not have these institutions at all, and their only task is to carry out the written Facebook instructions of the head of the executive branch — including labeling opponents as “scoundrels”? To put it mildly, this does not inspire confidence in these state bodies.
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Now, let’s talk about property. In Russia, it’s fairly common to “nationalize” enterprises whose owners have fallen out of favor with the Kremlin, and then hand those assets over to “approved” individuals. This is a practice unworthy of a law-abiding state — it’s a blatant violation of property rights. I have little doubt that the Armenian government’s intentions toward the Electric Network are headed in a similar direction.
Finally — about freedom of assembly: The Prime Minister publicly threatened, “All employees of the Electric Network who forcibly bring people to the protest will be dismissed.” A government official, of course, should not have the authority to fire employees of a private company.
Maybe, when drafting the next constitution, we should just lay it all out clearly: that the Prosecutor General, the Chief Investigator, the President of the Court, the “Main Custodian of Property,” and even the Head of the Armenian Apostolic Church — are all embodied in one person: Nikol Pashinyan.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
