Armenia returns to political crime Person killed for unflattering comments about Armenian PM

Criminal squabbles, arranged by pro-government organisations, often occur in Armenia. The authorities demonstrated their undisguised relations with criminals a few years ago. Ex-president Serzh Sargsyan’s brother was himself a notorious criminal in the country.

Another criminal skirmish occurred in Armenia’s Aparan city on June 19, 2022. As a result of the incident, five people were injured, and two were killed.

According to Armenian media, supporters of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan fired point-blank range at a group of young people who spoke unflatteringly about the Armenian prime minister by using Kalashnikov assault rifles. It turned out that among the shooters were the brother of MP from the Pashinyan faction Matevos Asatryan and cousins of the vice-governor of Aragatsotn region Edgar Parvanyan.

One of the killed is Amik Mikaelyan, an employee of the border service of the Armenian National Security Service. Another victim is the nephew of the mayor of Aparan city. So ordinary people were not involved.

Taking into account all the data about the representatives of the two sides of the clash, the bloody incident resembles a film about the actions of the Sicilian mafia fifty years ago, when crime and nepotism penetrated all branches of government and society. The story of the shooting and the victims, in this case, is actually unclear. The police immediately denied any political subtext of the incident, although the investigation had not even been conducted yet. Moreover, a completely implausible version was hastily put forward as the main one, that a “shot from a hunting rifle” was sounded. However, no one believed that five people were wounded and two people were killed as a result of a "shot from a hunting rifle".

The country's public has already begun to resent the incident. Some people think that such a quick denial shows that the police are making political statements in the interests of the authorities. Human rights activist Ruben Melikyan said that “one shameful report to be made by the police is enough to cast doubt on the entire investigation”.

The mechanism of the velvet revolution is outdated. Armenia remembers that having come to power in 2018, Pashinyan stated that “issues will no longer be resolved by using weapons”. However, proceeding from the recent incidents of 2022, issues are being resolved by using weapons. In this sense, the prime minister has not succeeded at all in comparison with his criminal predecessors Kocharyan and Sargsyan.

If we recall the history of the Armenian post-Soviet "democracy", then it is simply full of crime. For some reason, it was widespread in Armenia. However, criminality is an obvious distinguishing feature of the Armenians themselves, who like bloody incidents, murders, and reprisals against innocent and unarmed people. The Armenian Dashnaks declared violence and murders to be part of their doctrine in the late 19th century - early 20th century, which later led to the development of such a term as "Armenian terrorism". Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) terrorist organisation had become one of the most dangerous ones on the planet, assassinating diplomats and politicians by the middle of the 20th century.

As for civil society, the periods of ex-presidents Kocharyan’s and Sargsyan’s power were full of frightening criminal chronicles. During those periods, political differences were often resolved by using weapons.

The apotheosis was the terrorist act in the Armenian National Assembly on October 27, 1999, which caused a severe political crisis in the country. As a result of an attack by a group of armed men, Armenian Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Karen Demirchyan and six other people, members of the government and members of the National Assembly, were killed. Seven people were injured, and more than 40 were taken, hostage. Yerevan’s court of general jurisdiction resumed the trial over the murder of Poghos Poghosyan, committed in the Aragast cafe in Yerevan in 2021. Poghosyan was killed simply for saying "Hi, Rob" to then-Armenian President Robert Kocharyan. According to the files of the criminal case, Kocharyan's bodyguard Agamal Harutyunyan beat him in the toilet of the cafe.

It is worth remembering when the police station was seized by the Sasna Tsrer political group. As a result of the incident, several Armenian police officers were killed.

We also remember November 2020, when after Armenia’s shameful surrender, criminals practically lynched the current foreign minister, and the then Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan. This is criminal Armenia. Nevertheless, the West praises it for democracy. Are there double standards? Certainly, there are double standards although with a criminal flavour.