Bagrat Mikoyan, head of the office of former Armenian President Robert Kocharian, has stated that European countries ignore the repression of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan against the opposition and continue to refer to Armenia as a “bastion of democracy.”
In an interview on August 25, Mikoyan said: “Nikol Pashinyan sees himself as his main political opponent. He came to power in 2018 and was the first to be arrested in a completely far-fetched case. This repression occurs with thunderous applause and stormy silence from European officials and representatives of the European Union.”
Mikoyan warned that Prime Minister Pashinyan intends to launch “a new round of persecution” against opposition figures. He believes former president Robert Kocharian is being accused of actually exercising his powers.
On August 25, security forces searched the home of Levon Kocharyan, a deputy in the opposition Armenia faction and the youngest son of Robert Kocharian. Later, Robert Kocharian himself and his eldest son Sedrak were detained by authorities after being interrogated at an anti-corruption court.
The Anti-Corruption Committee reported conducting searches and other investigative actions at dozens of addresses in connection with a criminal case on corruption.
According to the Republic’s Prosecutor General’s Office, Robert Kocharian was accused of abuse of office and involvement in large-scale bribery schemes, including laundering illegally obtained financial resources.
