In a conversation with journalists, RPA Vice Chairman Armen Ashotyan mentioned the report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, noting that this is the first time such an American body has written about whether the persecution of clergy is a political or criminal offense, which is already a subject of debate.
“This formulation has never been used before, including in the PACE report,” he said.
Ashotyan noted that Nikol Pashinyan is currently in Strasbourg. “In the European Parliament building, he will boast about democracy, human rights, and a number of terms reflected in his poor English, while a number of European scoundrels and villains will roll their eyes. I won’t say what they’ll say.”
According to Ashotyan, Armenia is caught between two distinct realities: one is fictional, which Pashinyan is trying to present outside the country as an island of democracy. “However, I expect the prestigious Economist Democracy Index to be published in a few days. Last year, it was clearly stated that this is a hybrid regime, and a hybrid regime cannot be democratic. The very hybrid war they’re talking about now is embodied in Nikol and is directed against the Armenian people,” he said.
Ashotyan also touched on the RPA’s impeachment announcement, noting that the election results cannot be satisfactory unless there is popular pressure on the dictator.