Category: 2022

ArmInfo.The ongoing protests in Armenia’s capital and other cities and towns could serve as a background for an attempted coup and for showing alleged widespread  discontent with Armenia’s authorities and, therefore, a popular  demand for a change of power, the public and political figure Garegin  Miskaryan said in an interview with ArmInfo. 

“Protests as such will not bring about any changes. And they will die  down in the course of time if they are not accompanied with an  attempted coup. And even if such an attempt is made, it will have  nothing in common with the protests. In any case, an attempted coup  cannot be ruled out, and such the primary reason for such a  possibility is lack of reforms in the system of government. The  security agencies to name a few, the same personnel with the same  system of values in the same heads,” he said.

In this context, Mr Miskaryan believes an attempted coup and Armenia  backsliding to authoritarian and later to oligarchic rule is highly  probable. Moreover, the incumbent government’s steps demonstrate  Armenia is moving toward a new oligarchy, but with different  oligarchs. 

In this context, the present authorities-opposition struggle both in  Parliament and in the streets is a struggle for “redistribution of  capital” between the former owners and the new elite. And the fact  that this struggle does not contain a single hint at any ideological  component is evidence that “all is fair” in this “war,” which is only  making a change of power by means of a coup more probable.

“Not a single hint at the defense of national interests in this  struggle, which is being claimed by some.  Rather, it is a struggle  for power. And no steps have ever been made toward increasing  sovereignty, justice, democracy in Armenia under either the former or  incumbent authorities. After Armenia’s transition from electoral  authoritarianism to electoral democracy in 2018, we are backsliding  to electoral authoritarianism again for a number of objective and  subjective reasons. But a real democratic state has remained a  dream,” Mr Miskaryan said. 

ArmInfo.In recent days, the pro-government media, telegram channels and some members of the ruling party, citing the database of the Stockholm Institute (SIPRI),  have been spreading the thesis that allegedly more weapons were bought during the four years of the current government,  than during  the 10 years of the rule of the second and third presidents.

In the message received by ArmInfo from the Luys Foundation, was the  analysis of the data published on the SIPRI portal carried out.

“It should be noted that the ‘Trend Indicator Value’ (TIV) of arms  imports and exports is represented by a unit developed according to  the SIPRI methodology, which reflects not the price of weapons, but  their value. Therefore, it cannot be unequivocally stated that in  terms of price it coincides with the dollar value of weapons. Even if  we assume that these units correspond to the dollar value of weapons,  a very interesting picture will emerge.  According to SIPRI, in  2009-2018 Armenia imported $247 million worth of weapons, of which  only $110 million was in 2016. It turns out that Armenia in 2011-2015  imported weapons for only $21 million, which is ridiculous, given  that according to the same SIPRI, in 2018, compared to 2007,  Armenia’s defense spending increased by about 83%, from $280 million  to $513 million.

Based on SIPRI data, it turns out that before the 44-day war, in  2018-2020, out of the $248 million spent, 141-211 million or 57-85%  turned out to be ineffective (120-190 million were allocated for to  known “SU” systems, 21 million for “OSA-AK” systems). In general, out  of 280 million dollars spent in 2018-2021, 120-190 million dollars or  43-68% were spent on “Su” systems.

It is also clear that the bulk of the $248 million deliveries in 2019  are those provided under the $200+$100 million arms loan signed with  Russia in 2015-2017, part of which was simply delivered in 2019.

In addition to credit funds, arms imports continued at the expense of  defense spending. As a result, it turns out that, in fact, the RA  Armed Forces began to acquire an unprecedented amount of weapons in  2015-2017 within the framework of a loan signed with Russia and by  increasing defense spending.

According to SIPRI, in 1991-2021, Armenia imported only $948 million  worth of weapons, while Azerbaijani President Aliyev says in almost  every speech that they destroyed $4-5 billion worth of weapons during  the war, and according to expert estimates, armaments losses of the  Armenian side are estimated at 2-3 billion dollars.

According to SIPRI, after the 44-day war, Azerbaijan increased its  military spending to $2.7 billion in 2021, about 21% more than $2.2  billion in 2020 and about 46% more than in 2019. At the same time,  Armenia reduced military spending to $619 million in 2021, which is  about 2% less than in 2020 and 5% less than in 2019.

This is an illogical picture, since it turns out that after a  devastating war, Armenia reduces the burden of its military spending,  and Azerbaijan, being the winner, having captured a huge amount of  Armenian military equipment, nevertheless increases its spending,”  the Foundation’s publication says.

It should be noted that the expenditures of the state budget of  Armenia in January-February 2022 amounted to 231.2 billion drams,  which is 47.6% of the adjusted figure for the first quarter. At the  same time, 16.4% or 38 billion drams out of the indicated 231.2  billion drams was directed to cover the costs of the defense sector,  which is 45.1% of the adjusted figure for the first quarter.  It  should be noted that according to the RA Law “On the State Budget for  2022”, Armenia’s GDP will amount to 7% by the end of the year (the  other day, the Central Bank and the IMF adjusted their forecast to  1.6%, Fitch Ratings – to 1.3% – ed. note). Budget revenues in 2022  will amount to 1 trillion 947.8 billion drams (24.7% of GDP) or 17.5%  (289 billion drams) more than in 2021, expenditures – 2 trillion 184  billion drams or 27.7% GDP (184 billion drams more than the figure  adjusted for the current year and 334 billion drams more than the  approved figure for 2021), and the state budget deficit is 236.2  billion drams.  At the same time, current expenditures will amount to  23.2% of GDP or 1 trillion 843 billion drams (81 billion drams (4.6%)  more than the indicator set for 2021), and capital expenditures will  amount to 352 billion drams or 4.5% of GDP. At the same time, the  expenditures of the defense sector of Armenia this year will increase  by about 11%, or by 33 billion drams, amounting to more than 345.4  billion drams (about 15.8% of the expenditure part of the state  budget).

ArmInfo.Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan participates in the March of the Resistance Movement.

The Marchstarted from France Square and along Mashtots Avenue,  through Amiryan Street, Republic Square and Nalbandyan Street, moves  back to France Square.

Despite the rainy weather, thousands of citizens took to the streets  and participate in the protest action. The demonstrators are chanting  “Nicol is a traitor!”, “Armenia without Turks!”, and are calling on  citizens who express their support to them from the windows of their  houses to take to the streets and join them. There are also patriotic  songs.

It is worth noting that there are a large number of police officers  at the building of the Government of Armenia. Numerous law  enforcement officers also accompany the protest march.

From early morning the opposition forces paralyzed the city center.  Resistance Movement activists blocked more than 30 streets. The  opposition demands the resignation of the current authorities and  declares that it will not allow the RA government to transfer Artsakh  to the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan. 

ArmInfo.The RA Police launched an internal investigation against a policeman who punched in the face of one of the participants in a peaceful protest rally held from the  early According to the report of the RA Police, the internal investigation was launched on the instruction of the head of the RA Police.

Meanwhile, according to the report of the General Prosecutor’s Office  of Armenia, the department recorded an incident during which the head  of the RA State Guard Service, Sargis Hovhannisyan, kicked the  operator of Mediahub.am.

“The Prosecutor General’s Office is also studying a case during which  a police officer hit a demonstrator on the head with his fist,” the  report says.

Earlier it was reported that today at the intersection of Baghramyan  Avenue and Proshyan Street, head of the State Guard Service  Sargis Hovhannisyan, in response to a request from journalists to  asses the protest action, first hit the microphone, and as the  cameraman continued filming, he kicked the camera. To the indignation  of journalists with what is happening, Hovhannisyan switched to a  mat.  In another case mentioned by the Prosecutor General’s Office, a  police officer hit the face and head of an already detained man  several times with his fist.  It should be noted that from 08.30 in  the morning throughout the capital, activists of the Resistance  Movement began large-scale actions of disobedience in Yerevan.  Movement activists blocked the streets and chanted “Armenia without  Nikol!”, “Armenia without Turks!”, “Join”, “Nikol, traitor!”.   Promotions ended at 2:00pm. However, at 6:00pm there will be a rally in  the Place de France.  We also note that the police used excessive  force to unblock the streets of the capital, a number of citizens  were injured. Professional journalists are also among the “victims”  of the police force.  The Union of Journalists of Armenia has already  strongly condemned the violations of the rights of journalists,  calling these steps arrogant and unleashed, and inherent in the  criminal-oligarchic gang.

ArmInfo.Speaking about the proposals submitted by Azerbaijan, I want to once again emphasize the following: no matter how many points there are – 5, 7 or 17, we have  only one point, we will not be part of Azerbaijan and henceforth will  remain a de facto independent state. 

This is stated in the statement of Artsakh Foreign Minister David  Babayan.  “All Armenians decide the fate of Artsakh, especially  Artsakh. We will pursue this line to the end, because the fate of all  Armenians really depends on the fate of Artsakh, and somewhere the  further course of world politics,” summed up Babayan.

Earlier, Baku sent 5 proposals to Yerevan on the normalization of  bilateral relations. The Armenian authorities called them acceptable.  On March 14, the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, in  which, in particular, it stated that “Yerevan responded to the  proposals submitted by Baku and turned to the OSCE Minsk Group  Co-Chairmanship to organize negotiations on the conclusion of a peace  treaty between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan  on the basis of the Charter UN, the International Covenant on Civil  and Political Rights and the Helsinki Final Act.  

After this statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the  Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry published proposals of 5 points sent to  Yerevan. This, in particular, refers to the following proposals:  “Mutual recognition by states of sovereignty, territorial integrity,  inviolability of state borders and political independence of each  other; mutual confirmation by states of the absence of territorial  claims against each other and their acceptance of a legal obligation  not to make such claims in the future; refrain from threatening each  other’s security in international relations, using threats and force  against political independence and territorial integrity, as well as  other circumstances that do not correspond to the purposes of the UN  Charter; delimitation and demarcation of the state border,  establishment of diplomatic relations; opening transport links and  communications, establishing other relevant communications and  cooperation in other areas of mutual interest”.  

The opposition criticized these actions of the Armenian Foreign  Ministry, recalling that the OSCE Minsk Group does not have a mandate  to negotiate the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani bilateral  relations.  The parties are now actively preparing to launch the  process of border delimitation and ensuring border security.

ArmInfo.Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan met with Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev in Brussels. EU Special  Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia,  Toivo Klaar, announced this on his Twitter account.

“Happy to have been able to host Hikmet Hajiyev and Armen Grigoryan  in Brussels for a second meeting in this format,” Klaar wrote.

Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced about the  meeting.  It should be reminded that the Armenian side did not make  public about the first meeting. The meeting became known after the  announcement of the EU press service on March 31.

ArmInfo.The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has uncovered a corruption scheme developed and implemented by the deputy head of one of the key departments of the State Revenue Committee (SRC) and the chief tax inspector of the  same department.

In particular, according to the press service of the National  Security Service, it turned out that the deputy head of the  department in the State Revenue Committee A.M. and the chief tax  inspector of the same department A.A., being authorized to conduct  audits for budget compliance in companies engaged in economic  activity, by abusing their official position revealing the taxes to  be paid, did not record the entire amount of unpaid taxes, for which  they received a bribe in especially large sizes.

Thus, in the course of checks carried out in February-March of this  year, an economic entity engaged in the construction of  multi-apartment buildings revealed unpaid tax liabilities for 126  million drams. The economic entity, having agreed with these  officials, submitted an updated report to the tax authorities,  according to which, instead of 126 million drams, it vhad to make  additional tax payments for 59 million drams. Instead of A.M. and  A.A. demanded from the economic entity and received a bribe of 65  thousand dollars, of which 5 thousand dollars – in cash, and 60  thousand dollars – in the form of two apartments in a building under  construction at half the price.

In order to hide the real source of the bribe received, these  apartments were registered in the names of relatives of A.M. and  A.A., thus an attempt was made to legalize property obtained by  criminal means.

The materials prepared on this fact were sent to the Anti-Corruption  Committee, where a criminal case was initiated on the grounds of  paragraph 2, .1, art. 311 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of  Armenia (Receiving a bribe in especially large amounts, committed on  an especially large scale), p.1, part 3, art. 312 (Giving a bribe on  an especially large scale) and paragraph 1, part 3, art. 190 of the  Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (Legalization of illegally  obtained income, committed on an especially large scale).

Employees of the National Security Service and the Anti-Corruption  Committee conducted searches at the place of work and residence of  the indicated officials of the State Revenue Committee and the head  of the company-economic entity, during which materials of evidentiary  value for the criminal case were found.  A.M. and A.A. has been  detained. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.