Ruben Mkhitaryan expresses support for fellow Gyumri mayoral candidate amid political pressure

Ruben Mkhitaryan, the mayoral candidate of the My Strong Community party in Gyumri’s upcoming municipal elections, on Thursday visited fellow candidate Martun Grigoryan of the Our City bloc to express support to him after Grigoryan’s campaign offices and home were raided by law enforcement.

The searches also targeted the headquarters of the Mother Armenia bloc.

“This is happening in the so-called bastion of democracy, but it's hardly surprising. We’ve lived in this environment for seven years now. I expected this,” Mkhitaryan told reporters.

Commenting on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recent outbursts in the parliament, Mkhitaryan suggested that he is under "mounting pressure". “His nervousness shows he’s being squeezed from all sides – by Aliyev, the U.S., Russia, maybe even his wife – and now the potential election results in Gyumri. This man needs some kind of mental relief," he said.

Regarding the potential impact of the raids, Mkhitaryan expressed confidence that it would not affect the election outcome or create a climate of fear.

“Gyumri residents are not cowards. On March 30, they’ll go to the polls and vote for one of the opposition candidates. If they think they can pressure Martun this way, they must be naive,” Mkhitaryan said.