Isolation of clergymen and businessman shows bankruptcy and fears of  ruling regime - expert

ArmInfo. The isolation of Archbishops Bagrat Galstanyan and Mikael Ajapakhyan, as well as Russian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, does not harm them, but, on the contrary, serves to their benefit, since it demonstrates to the general public the insolvency and fears of the current government. This is how political scientist Vladimir Martirosyan commented on the arrests of people with opposition views as part of the anti-church campaign initiated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The expert expressed his conviction that the results of this campaign  for the Armenian Prime Minister were extremely negative, and the  problem that needed to be solved ran into an insurmountable obstacle.   Martirosyan drew attention to the fact that even after the  application of harsh criminal-legal measures against Archbishops  Bagrat Galstanyan and Mikael Ajapakhyan, it was impossible to form an  element of criminal-legal element in public consciousness in relation  to them. "The clergymen honorably bear the honorary titles of  devotees who selflessly fight for the church, country and people,"  the political scientist noted.

According to the expert, the attempts to seize the residence of the  Catholicos in the Mother See of Etchmiadzin only disgraced the  National Security Service (NSS) as an institution called upon to  ensure the security of the state and the people. In this vein,  Martirosyan drew attention to the fact that the NSS has turned into a  raider structure serving the interests of Pashinyan.

"The investigative bodies demonstrated the nature of their  low-quality professional "conveyor belts", which deserves  condemnation and shame, including from the legal community. At the  same time, the perception and rating of the AAC clergy significantly  improved after their resistance to the attempts of the security  forces to raid the residence," Martirosyan added.

Meanwhile, as the expert noted, businessman Samvel Karapetyan brought  to the peak all the public hostility and unacceptability of this  election campaign with his short critical speech. Martirosyan noted  that in this way Karapetyan became a serious political factor, which  forced a significant number of people not involved in politics to  begin to follow political processes and form a clear anti-government  position.

"If we leave aside the useless government garbage that is daily  produced and thrown out on the media field regarding the Catholicos,  the AAC, priests and Samvel Karapetyan, then this garbage is in no  way capitalized by Pashinyan as a resource of his truthfulness and  political power. The priests and Samvel Karapetyan are isolated. But  they endure this isolation and imprisonment with honor, which does  not work to their detriment, but to their benefit and for a greater  goal - to demonstrate and prove to the general population the failure  and fears of this government," the political scientist said. 

According to him, as a result, Pashinyan has no other significant  result or political capitalization except to be humiliated,  disgraced, demoralized and to flaunt his own failure and  worthlessness to the whole world.  "The game he started suddenly  turns against him, since every step will further aggravate his  already untenable situation," Martirosyan summed up.

Philanthropist and president of the Tashir Group Samvel Karapetyan  was detained on the night of June 18 in Yerevan by law enforcement  agencies of Armenia after he expressed support for the Armenian  Apostolic Church. In response, open threats followed from the Prime  Minister. On the night of June 19, the Yerevan Court of General  Jurisdiction arrested Samvel Karapetyan for two months. He is being  held in the Yerevan- Kentron Penitentiary Institution (the famous  "KGB basement" in the building of the National Security Service of  Armenia). He is accused of publicly calling for the seizure of power  in the country. Karapetyan does not admit guilt.

On June 25, law enforcement officers conducted searches in the homes  of supporters of the "Sacred Struggle" movement and individuals with  opposition views. The Investigative Committee stated that the  participants and leaders of the movement were allegedly planning  terrorist attacks and the seizure of power in Armenia. Sixteen people  were detained on charges of attempting to "seize power," including  the leader of the movement, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. All  detainees were arrested for two months.

And on June 28, the Yerevan Court of Primary Instance decided to  arrest the head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic  Church, Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, for two months. Archbishop  Mikael Ajapakhyan is accused of calling for the violent overthrow of  the government. Moreover, we are talking about calls that were voiced  a year ago and recognized by the National Security Service of Armenia  as not containing a crime.