Expert: Armenia sinking into 'quagmire of lawlessness'

Political analyst Suren Surenyants warns that Armenia risks descending into a "quagmire of lawlessness" under the current government.

 “I now realize I was naively optimistic to believe that any core values are still preserved in the country,” Surenyants wrote on Facebook on Monday.

His comments came after Tigran Ter-Margaryan, the head of Yerevan's Nor Nork district and a member of the pro-Western Hanrapetutyun Party led by Aram Sargsyan, assaulted civic activist Artur Chakhoyan along with his staff members last week.

The analyst stated that the incident served as a telling indicator of key issues.

“In today’s Armenia, assault has become a political tool," Surenyants stated. “By retaining Tigran Ter-Margaryan in his position, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent a clear message, particularly to his loyalists and satellite parties, that power retention in 2026 is the ultimate goal, even if it comes at the cost of violence and intimidation.”

Surenyants argued that Armenia is no longer a country governed by rule of law. "The ruling elite acts above the law, while opposition figures face disproportionately harsh legal consequences."

"Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan is merely a hostage to the political deal between Pashinyan and Aram Sargsyan. His public credibility can be sacrificed with a single act of blackmail, an act the prime minister appears to condone," he said, questioning the Armenian leaders' adherence to Western values.

Surenyants warned that Pashinyan’s tolerance of such behavior could spark civil unrest in the country. “Impunity will only breed more violence and Armenia will end up in a quagmire of lawlessness,” the expert stressed.