Asbarez: Opposition Protests Draw Attention to Artsakh Rights, Lapse of Democr

The opposition Armenia bloc holds a protest on the sidelines of EPC summit in Yerevan on May 4 (Azatutyun.am video grab)

As European and other world leaders attended the European Political Community summit in Yerevan on Monday, opposition groups stages demonstrations, drawing the attention of visiting dignitaries to the rights of Artsakh Armenians, the captives being held in Baku and the lapse in democratic norms in Armenia.

The opposition Armenia bloc supporters marched from the center of Yerevan to the Karen Demirchyan Sports Complex, where the summit was being held.

The Armenia bloc issued a statement on Sunday, saying the timing of the summit, which the group said signaled external support for the current administration ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Calling the EPC summit and the subsequent first-ever EU-Armenian summit “important events,” the Armenia bloc argued that Armenia was experiencing a “volatile” domestic atmosphere ahead of the elections.

“These are indeed important events, whose substantive significance for Armenia could have been much greater had the timing of these gatherings been taken into account. Holding such events in a tense domestic political environment, just weeks before nationwide elections, will inevitably be presented by the Armenian authorities as external support, while European political actors will effectively become directly involved in Armenia’s internal political processes,” the bloc said in its statement.

“The interest of Armenia’s authorities lies not in the substantive development of Armenia–EU relations, but in using European political actors within Armenia’s internal political processes. We regret to note that statements made by representatives of the European Union’s executive bodies only deepen our concerns that the manipulative actions of Armenia’s authorities appear to be receiving European backing,” the opposition group warned, while underscoring the importance of EU-Armenia relations as part of Armenia’s foreign policy.

“We reaffirm our commitment to promoting the continued development of Armenia–EU partnership, based on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, shared values, and historical experience. Armenia–EU relations must be kept free from both domestic political exploitation and geopolitical confrontation, in line with the principles of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement,” the statement said.

“We call on high-level delegations visiting Armenia to approach the development of Armenia–EU relations based on the best interests of that relationship, rather than political expediency aimed at supporting a preferred government in Armenia. The restriction of democratic processes, violations of the rule of law, and limitations on political freedoms by Armenia’s authorities will increasingly make such ‘European protection’ more difficult to sustain. A passive stance toward these violations, driven by political calculations—including by European partners—has led to an unprecedented increase in the number of political prisoners in Armenia,” the statement added.

“European institutions have also failed to demonstrate appropriate political conduct by not condemning the unlawful campaign launched by the authorities against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church,” the Armenia bloc said.

The Armenia bloc specifically focused on the EU’s pledge to send two missions to Armenia to counter what has been termed as “hybrid threats” to the elections, which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said are emanating from Russia.

“We do not expect any external actor, including the European Union, to interfere in Armenia’s internal political processes. However, among Armenia’s external partners, the European Union is one of the few that holds contractual obligations to monitor the rule of law and democratic processes in the country. In this context, we expect that the second civilian mission to be deployed in Armenia will fully adhere to its mandate and be guided by the principle of political inclusivity, ensuring that opposition voices are heard,” the Armenia bloc emphasized.

“In any case, the high-level events planned in Armenia present a valuable opportunity to raise critical issues for our people and state, such as the release of our prisoners held in Baku and the de-occupation of Armenia’s territories,” the Armenia bloc added.

“In this context, we welcome certain provisions of the European Parliament resolution adopted on April 30 on ‘Supporting Armenia’s Democratic Resilience,’ particularly those addressing the right of return of Artsakh Armenians, the protection of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh, the release of Armenian prisoners, and the need to ensure equal and competitive conditions for all opposition actors in Armenia,” the statement stressed, adding that “we expect that this principled position of the European Parliament will serve as a guiding framework for the European Union’s executive bodies.”

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