The Political Council of the “Prosperous Armenia” Party has issued a statement, which reads:

The government has resorted to “legal terror” today, since early morning. We assess this as a response to the last speech of the PAP President, in which he mentioned, without ambiguity, the acute problems facing the country, the imminent serious risks and the only opportunity to solve them – new, effective governance, serious changes in the country’s governance system.

Failing the fight against the epidemic, becoming responsible for many infections and deaths, realizing that the serious social problems are approaching, the Armenian authorities have adopted a policy of silencing the opposition at all costs. This is a futile and risky path. The government avoids perceiving the reality correctly, accepting its failures and finding solutions in an atmosphere of public solidarity.

Violence unleashed by the authorities in the early hours of the morning has once again become the most permissive. During this time, more than a dozen PAP activists, including MPs, were forcibly detained in front of all of us, and the police used disproportionate force against them. Gagik Tsarukyan’s interrogation is currently underway at the National Security Service.

The “Prosperous Armenia” Party reaffirms its determination to fight for the interests of our state and people by all civilized and legal means, so as not to back down in the face of illegal pressure. In Armenia, the government will never again be able to silence the opposition through blackmail and violence. We are determined to continue our just struggle for the letter and spirit of the law, for the salvation of Armenia and the Armenian people.”