Category: News

The guest of Satik Seyranyan in the program “Lessons” is Davit Ghazinyan, the former director of “Electric Networks of Armenia” CJSC, member of the board of the “Strong Armenia” party, deputy of the “Strong Armenia” faction of the National Assembly.

On July 24, the anti-corruption court abolished the “detention” measure of Davit Ghazinyan, elected deputy of the “Strong Armenia” party alliance. His lawyers claimed in the court that Ghazinyan was given the mandate of a deputy on July 21, therefore he has the status of a deputy and is inviolable. Only the National Assembly can deprive him of his immunity. The prosecutor objected and requested not to abolish the preventive measure, but to replace it with a bail of 1 billion drams.

Davit Ghazinyan was released from the courtroom.

Let us remind that in 2026 on June 17, the Central Electoral Commission, in a closed session, examined and approved the request of the prosecutor’s office to initiate criminal proceedings against Davit Ghazinyan. The Prosecutor’s Office also filed a motion to grant consent to deprivation of liberty, which was also granted. The court decided to detain Davit Ghazinyan for 2 months. The accusation is related to the recording published by the Anti-Corruption Committee, where it is said that Davit Ghazinyan was preparing to give an alleged election bribe of 1.4 million drams. 

Key takeaways from the interview are below.

• You noticed correctly. back in 2025, when the campaign against Samvel Karapetyan was started by the authorities, the first target was the HEC, and therefore also my person, for two purposes. First, they tried to present Samvel Karapetyan as a “robber” character, which, of course, did not work, and second, they tried to provide an administrative resource for themselves. I repeat, creating an image of a robber for them simply did not work. Everyone saw what was happening. 

• Whoever tries to speak directly, not to be afraid of their persecution, to have radical oppositional views, according to the logic of these authorities, must be punished.

• I am sure that they carefully studied my work at the National Academy of Sciences. I am sure that they tried to sew and make something using all possible permissible and non-permissible methods, but they did not succeed. An opportunity arose for them: the article on the alleged preparation of election bribery was placed on me. It’s ridiculous, literally, because there was no substance there. That’s why I announced in court that it is a pity that due to the status of a deputy, I have to be released from custody. 

• Very briefly, let me say this, there is life even in the isolation cell of the National Security Service, let no one be afraid. It is true that compared to other penitentiary institutions, it is a stricter regime. There is no opportunity to communicate with each other, to see each other, you cannot see anyone. I don’t want to say too much, it’s more difficult conditions, but when you know that you are right, when you know that you are clean before God, and most importantly, when you know why you are suffering all this, believe me, it is quite easy, there is no problem. 

• The only tool they have is to intimidate by sitting down. our leader, Samvel Karapetyan, showed his willpower by sitting in those conditions for 6 or more months, and for 6 or more months under house arrest, we cannot be intimidated by that. So, I advise you not to be afraid.

• The trial is already underway, I think there is no pre-trial secret as such, I will try to present the essence of the “case”…

During the detention session, I directly declare that I was in the pre-election or alliance headquarters of those parties 3-4 times during that period. I even ask them to check when I was at that headquarters through the telephone billing system. I request and demand that they publish it. After all, if the eavesdropping was done there, if I was there, then it is assumed that I must have said something. I say bring what I have spoken there, you say I have been there, don’t you? Naturally, it is rejected. De-contextualized, edited conversations were presented. There is no justification or proof that I gave money. a case was initiated based on oral conversations only.

When I ask, well, to whom, according to you, I gave that money, does he himself say that I gave it, they say “no”. I ask, “Where did I give it?” They say, “It is not yet clear.” I ask, “and when did I give it?”, they say, “it hasn’t been determined yet.” Then they say: “You had some problems, it didn’t work out, the money came back to you”, I say: “Okay, so we didn’t give it?” They say, “Ah, well, that’s the preparation.” I say, “OK, and through whom was it given directly or in some way?”, they say, “It is not clear.” I say, “When did they give it back?” They say, “It’s not clear.” I say, “Where did they give it back?” They say, “It’s not clear.”

In other words, they took the housekeeper’s and mother’s phone conversations, connected them, tried to get into people’s private lives, brought those internal personal relationships into the public arena and tried to stick something. At least it’s funny. That is why we filed an appeal, which, of course, the Court of Appeals would not satisfy.

• When the lawyers in the court ask the investigator and the prosecutor whether you interrogated Davit Ghazinyan, why didn’t you interrogate them, they answer: “He didn’t give a statement during the arrest, we thought he didn’t need to.” Confrontations, absolutely no action was taken. we demanded a confrontation, we demanded an active investigation, but absolutely nothing was done. It was clear that the problem was just to keep me there. 

• The actions of the prosecutor’s office have no logic for a long time. 

• I would like to mention a very important fact. On June 5, they came to our house with a search warrant. My apartment, unlike Narek Karapetyan’s, was searched once, not several times. In other words, I have been aware of what they want to do since June 5, when the search decision was issued. The famous video-recording is published on June 6, but I am arrested on June 17. I was free for 12 days, I did not have any restraining order, I did not have any status: neither witness nor accused․․․ And after that, among the grounds for arrest, they mentioned obstructing the preliminary investigation, the risks of escaping and committing a new crime… I repeat: For 12 days, I waited every day for them to come after me… I even had to send my son to school, one of my friends advised me: “don’t come to the airport, they will suddenly think you are running away, they will organize a show”… Honestly, I didn’t go to the airport to make a show or run away… 

What about? to the preliminary investigation  to obstruct․ when ask ենք՝ “Okay, 12 day had, do you have what?–that given, that Davit Ghazinyan obstruct is or to try is obstruct, what?–that of one on affect”, says են՝ “no”. Asking ենք՝ “From where?” is your approx that the opinion, that there is risk, or kxnothing”․ there is none answer, they say, “we have like this assumption, that can is to hinder”. Այսինքն՝ detention grounds, as such, in general there were none. 

• The height of meanness. I am sure that the relevant bodies knew very well that Narek Karapetyan’s 10-year-old child was born on that day, and they entered the search. Moreover, they knew very well that they could not find anything with the search, because it did not happen. What’s the point of doing a search a third time… 

This small group has a property: how many that themselves cowardly are, scared are from sitting, from persecution and: etc, it seems to them that others are also afraid. Before the sitting of the National Assembly, they are trying to intimidate once more… I think that is the goal. 

• The tool to catch and sit does not work anymore. Now let’s say me that second times they took sit downthey did, is something going to change, or that Samvel Karapetyan has been detained for more than a year, has something changed in his positions… Absolutely. And that is exactly what upsets the authorities. They are like that, they think that the other person should be like that too. The facade does not break, they get out of bed. 

• We all have seen both victories and defeats in life. I have never seen such a “winner” anywhere. If this government considers itself the winner, then the winner is not in such a nervous state of mind. If you won, what is your problem? If you won, why are you arresting everyone one by one? 

• They are nervous because they have obligations to their “brothers”, Azerbaijan and Turkey, and they convinced the Europeans that they would have a constitutional majority, but they did not receive so many votes. 

On the night of the elections, at 2 o’clock, Pashinyan’s announcement was addressed to Azerbaijan, Turkey, and the European Union: “I have won.” I think it was for outside՝ be calm… But in this case, he already has a very serious dependence on them, where he cannot talk to them, as a winner, as equals. And this will lead to constant concessions from our country… Azerbaijan is already very strict in its demands regarding RA Constitutional amendments, territorial concessions… Right after the elections, Azerbaijan intensified its rhetoric because they understand that their protégé has a problem… 

• To tell the truth, after leaving the isolation cell, I learned about the persecution of my father and his removal from YSU. my father forbade anyone to talk about it, given that I was there. It is a very painful topic for me. in a normal Armenian family there is a setting, and I have always lived like that․ Do what you want with me, but when it comes to my family members, I have nothing to talk to them about.

In other words, my father, who was admitted to the faculty of law of Yerevan State University in 1972, has been working there since 1977 (that is, he has worked there all his life in various positions). Let me reveal a little secret. Even in 2024, the question of my father’s re-election was discussed at the meeting of the Security Council, although my father did not want to be re-elected, when my father spoke at home, he said, “that’s enough, we must give room to young people”… 

This recent announcement by YSU that he, as a main employee, as a lecturer, will not be extended his contract from September 1 is simply shameful… By the way, last year, if I’m not mistaken, my father was awarded the title of honorary professor. I was not engaged in active politics at that time, my brother was no longer in the National Assembly, according to them, everything was calm, and they gave me the title of honorary professor from the university itself… It’s not my father, that’s why I’m saying it, but to treat that kind of person, in the true sense of the word, those “manclavics”… who weren’t even born when that person was there. They, that rector and the rest, were nobody all together… I don’t have any problem with them in the sense that they are nothing, they are not decisive, they don’t have their own “I”. They could not under any circumstances say: “OK, we did this, we did that, but this person is not allowed, it is not right to do such a thing.” So, it is a problem of one person, I consider it a consequence of my political activity, a sanction. Their move is just the height of immorality… According to their notice, he will no longer teach at the university from September 1.

There are all legal ways, of course, we will fight against it. They don’t understand what family is, they don’t understand what it means to try to oppress a person through family. It is the peak of immorality. It’s not surprising to me, they are. I repeat, I am ready to take everything in our direct fight, it is absolutely zero for me՝ they took me, made me sit down, tried to punish me, oppress me (of course, it didn’t work), it’s not a problem, but these persecutions related to family members… I will never forgive that one. 

• I ask a direct question to the government․ if you have found out that there were cases of extravagance (which we do not rule out, we have also discovered a lot, etc.), where are the criminal cases you initiated? Who is imprisoned by it, is there an accused? The same thing is declared over and over without proof.

Let’s remind that the temporary manager of the National Economic and Social Committee, Romanos Petrosyan from the Communist Party of Ukraine, announced. “Over the course of a year of the temporary administration, the total number of dismissals in the National Economic and Social Committee was more than 1,150 people, of which 700 employees were dismissed due to various violations (mostly additions/under-registrations). About 30 criminal proceedings have been initiated based on the facts of the discovered violations. there are many arrestees and arrest warrants.”

• He is lying. I directly declare that he is lying because, if I’m not mistaken, the National Security Agency has 2,000 inspectors. If 700 employees (I say as a material manager, who are related to kilowatts) are released, there will be no inventory manager there. It is the opposite․ of it big part their people to accommodate for freed people are Այսինքն՝ people released and: their to bring their own to work.

In this case, it is only an hour’s work to reveal the application. You check, you find the addendum, the internal security questions the inspector, finds out the circumstances of the case, you try to determine quantitatively whether the chief can have a connection or not, based on the given testimony, you make a conclusion: you remove the person, punish him, etc. What do you study for a year? It’s been a year since you tried to convince people to give my name, but they don’t? Where are those 30 cases you mentioned, why aren’t they in the court already, why don’t we have a single decision, where it is mentioned that so-and-so testified that Davit Ghazinyan told him to “go and make an addition” or “make an under-registration?”

• The reason for widespread power outages. no investment is made, they take away the loan, they close it, they say “I am a strong boy”.

• The chairman of this same Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) directly told me that there is no block like yours. Both the struggle of your block to solve the problems and everything is going very well, even…

• Do you have the manliness (I’m telling you directly) – publish with names, time, reports, how many people were released just to make a specific addition.

• This government offered a ridiculous sum of 380,000 dollars to the owners, Samvel Karapetyan, in order to acquire the HEC. 

• Samvel Karapetyan did not take more than 70 billion of his dividend from HETC, because the moment he took it, the company would have gone bankrupt. He could not afford such a thing. If Samvel Karapetyan took his dividends, the investments that were made during these years would not have been made. Only a very small percentage was taken. 

• Let an international organization be invited to evaluate the real value of the HEC. There is no evaluation company in Armenia that can withstand the pressure of the authorities and not do what they say. Let any reputable international company make an impartial assessment and tell the exact price. They are afraid of it, because it will be up to 1 billion dollars (from 750-800 million to 1 billion), they know it very well. 

• These authorities have no morality, no red lines.

• I will also refer to those who follow the instructions of the authorities․․․ Not every instruction, every order must be fulfilled or can be fulfilled. 10-15 people tried to lay Gagik Tsarukyan on the ground, the video shows two people hitting him on the leg, throwing him on the ground… Do you feel good about that? You saw, Tsarukyan was standing with a smile on his face… 

I see on the Internet, some people say: why didn’t they take Samvel Karapetyan like that? I must say, when Samvel Karapetyan was arrested, they tried to make such a show, but they just couldn’t, because Samvel Karapetyan was at home, we were all there with his supporters, his friends. They wanted to do it, but we stood next to him all night, we wouldn’t let them…

• I express my disagreement, as a person, as a citizen, with the policy pursued by Russia in the sense that, not from the point of view of their interests, but as an Armenian, I say that it was not worth putting the citizen of Armenia in this situation because of one person. 

• It is wrong to blame Russia, France, the USA or Europe in general for allegedly not doing something for us. Our people are not aware of the reality that is being hidden from them. Nobody publishes the behind-the-scenes conversations and negotiations, we don’t know the whole truth. Putin cannot publish, for example, in 2020. In October, before stopping the 44-day war, what was discussed with the RA authorities? Even today, that cease-fire is presented as if Putin is to blame for everything. or “we were doing everything well, but suddenly Putin decided to apply sanctions against Armenia, and Russia is bad”. Russia says: if you go to the European Union, there is no problem, it is your decision, but stand by your decision. I, for example, why not, I would also welcome the policy pursued by the authorities, if they would clearly say “no” to Russia and at the same time give our people an alternative. In other words, this is exactly the lie and fake․ they say: “No, the EAEU should not exist, let it be destroyed.” First of all, this is funny, because in the structure of EAEU we are mainly in the role of consumer. Second, you have no choice․ even your beloved Turkey does not have the resources that can help you. And most importantly, Turkey conducts its policy through Azerbaijan, they won’t come with tanks, but with cars, as Aliyev stated. 

• We have neighboring Iran, which showed the whole world what nation, state and unity mean. It was very exciting for me, and I watched with sincere envy when they said, “Let’s hit your bridges, your infrastructure,” and millions of people went and stood on the bridges.

• The President of Iran thanked the authorities of Armenia during the war and, by the way, thanked the people of Armenia much more in the footnotes. Iranians have seen that the people of Armenia are sincerely on their side, regardless of whether the CP is the government or someone else (it’s not about the authorities). 

Now the issue has reached the railway․ Pashinyan announces that the management of the Armenian railway will be taken back by the Russian side, stating that there is no alternative. It has been taking steps in this direction for a long time, and Russia replies that in that case, Armenia should compensate all the investments and works done.

• I don’t think that they will go all the way in the issue of the railway. In my opinion, everything is done just for talk and communication․ they are trying to squeeze a little to get their place in Russia, so that they can finally sit down and talk. According to me, this is the whole purpose. 

• If you have made such a decision, you should speak honestly with the people. It is necessary to say: “Dear people, we will remain hungry, if we break away from Russia, you will not be able to sell your agricultural products, flowers and other products.” It is necessary to be honest (which I do not believe in the case of these authorities) and openly say what the situation is so that the final decision is made by the people. 

• Yes, we can also face an energy crisis. Yes, to a certain extent we are self-sufficient thanks to the solar plants, but their volume is not sufficient at night, because we do not have accumulators that will store the daytime energy for the night. 

• The chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) has already announced that in case of an increase in the price of gas, the electricity tariff will definitely be revised as well. Regardless of the price of gas, I am sure that electricity will become more expensive. And if the price of gas increases, you can imagine what will happen in our country. 

• The ruling political force declares that the electricity tariff in Armenia is one of the highest compared to the former Soviet countries. Okay, so who do you blame for this? The Public Services Regulatory Commission sets the tariff, that is, the state is the regulator, and when the authorities announce that the electricity tariff is the highest in Armenia, the question arises: did Samvel Karapetyan decide the price of 1 kilowatt of electricity in Armenia? It’s up to you, oh՞who do you blame 

• 12.7 billion drams is planned as another financial income for the nuclear power plant, from where, God knows?

They planned 12 billion drams in order to keep the tariff at zero, neither increasing nor decreasing. I am probably asking these authorities for the tenth time: explain, from which part of the nuclear power plant will the other financial income of those 12 billion be generated. In my personal opinion, that number was just set from somewhere in order to control the price increase. And in this case, if I am not mistaken, the tariff should be revised in November. I have a belief, which even the chairman of the commission did not rule out, that it will rise, regardless of the price of gas.

• Samvel Karapetyan directly stated. “With my efforts, I did not increase the price for 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, and I promise not to increase the price for another 10 years, regardless of gas, regardless of what happens in the world. Brothers, I will bring money from my pocket, I will invest it, but I will not increase the price”, as it was until now. Now, because of the policy of these authorities, no matter what happens, there is already a problem, because you cannot keep it forever. It doesn’t matter if you make it more expensive or if you take money from another place and subsidize it, it doesn’t matter, one day our people will pay that money. 

Wouldn’t what Samvel Karapetyan said, which was true and would continue to be true, work? It wasn’t going to be expensive, but you took a different course because of your cynicism. The man simply defended the Church and said: “Enough, stop, stop, you have already reached the red lines.” 

• As for Narek Karapetyan’s case, the National Assembly will try to deprive him of his immunity. Let the General Prosecutor’s Office come, if they want to be an object of ridicule and laughter, please let them come. If I’m not mistaken, the name “Narek” is mentioned only once in that multi-volume work, and it turns out that it is not about Narek. 

• We will absolutely not enter into the agenda of the authorities in the National Assembly. First, we are sure that this National Assembly will not go all the way with this government, and secondly, we will show the people the most shameful actions they have taken. Our power resource had no opposition. 

• If the authorities behave normally in the National Assembly, there will be a normal attitude, and if there is a different attitude, they will receive ten times more. It seems to me that you understand what it is about. 

• I am not going to befriend or have any relationship with anyone there. We are not going to use the people’s vote for street fights or other similar measures. We have a very big responsibility. We have a lot of work to do, and a responsibility to explain everything to the people without getting tired, also by carrying out work in the places. 

• Samvel Karapetyan never sought to come to power by subjecting the country to shocks. He loves our country so much that he considers coming to power through upheavals inadmissible. 

• On August 7, we will all be next to His Holiness the Patriarch, the Church.