June: 24, 2026
168TV’s “Zara Has a Question” the guest of the program International scholar Menua Soghomonyan is a member of “HayaVe” national-civic association.
At the beginning of the interview, Menua Soghomonyan referred to the episode of the arrest of “HayaVote” coordinator Avetik Chalabyan.
“It is nonsense from head to toe, a lie, a fabrication, a stupid basis for starting a prosecution against Avetik Chalabyan. The prosecution of Avetik Chalabyan is one of the successive links of the chain, which is carried out against the Armenian people, against the democracy of Armenia, against free speech, against the national-state interests of Armenia.
We see that these authorities have essentially been defeated. while forming a one-man government, they are defeated because they did not solve the problem set by their political masters: to have a constitutional majority and impose the Aliyev Constitution on Armenia and the Armenian people. In order to be able to conduct this process more smoothly, to make the uprising less public, they consider it necessary to isolate the people who speak, the influential people, who have weight.
The same applies to Armen Ashotyan, the same applies to Alen Ghevondyan, Tevanyan Andranik, everyone who speaks, who resists, shows resistance. To isolate people so that only the speakers they like speak, so that they repeat what Pashinyan says,” said Menua Soghomonyan.
Earlier it became known that in 2026 On June 24, A. was searched. Chalabyan’s apartment. He was arrested.
The Investigative Committee issued a message stating that A. Chalabyan, being the coordinator of “HayaVote” association, aimed to obstruct the 2026 elections. to exercise the free electoral right of citizens in the June 7 parliamentary elections. According to the proceedings, in May 2026, he traveled to another country and had meetings with officials of that country to persuade and interest them to use their official powers and influence to achieve that goal.
By the way, after the shooting of the program, it became known that Avetik Chalabyan was detained for 2 months.
Referring to the visit of the Azerbaijani official Hikmet Hajiyev after the elections and possible goals and Nikol Pashinyan’s “risk management” concerns in that context, the public-politician recalled an episode in the movie “The Godfather 2”.
“When one of their relatives from Sicily comes to speak for Michael Corleone and just sits in the special committee of the Senate, the brother sees his presence and changes his testimony, what he was supposed to say beforehand.
Hikmet Hajiyev’s visit was his presence in Armenia. on that day, if you remember, the Central Electoral Commission was examining the issue related to the results of voting in 3 precincts. We see that an illegal, unconstitutional, illegal decision is being made, not allowing re-voting in those three precincts, because if it were, “Prosperous Armenia” would get its mandates, and Pashinyan would be deprived of the opportunity of 3/5 of the deputies in the parliament. Hikmet Hajiev’s arrival in Armenia had a very symbolic role in that matter,” explained Menua Soghomonyan.
Speaking about the inadequate international response to what is happening in the country, Menua Soghomonyan attributed it to a simple circumstance. according to him, the external power centers need a yielding Armenia.
“We need a weak link. These authorities have taken, they gladly assumed that role, the role of a yielding Armenia,” he added.
The international expert also assured that the declarations about going to Europe and sovereignty are false.
“The sovereignty of the country is directly proportional to its internal potential. Sovereignty is not achieved by shouting, shouting, and various eloquent expressions of the leader. Sovereignty is built by putting stone upon stone, increasing internal strength and potential. One of the most important signs of sovereignty is internal unity, a strong community, a strong society. what we absolutely do not see in Armenia. Today, the people have been divided into different armies.
If we do not have the industry as the most important pillar of the economy, the backbone, if we are not economically interesting to the power centers, it means that we are not sovereign, a small state should be economically interesting first of all,” said the expert.
To the clarification, are we not getting interesting with TRIPP, he responded: “We are becoming interesting precisely in terms of the loss of sovereignty. That project is about the loss of sovereignty, because we are not able to clearly control who crosses our sovereign border.”
—