Activist: Armenia must be governed by laws, not personal whims

Avetik Chalabyan, co-founder of the Hayakve initiative, condemned the arbitrary exercise of power by Armenia’s current leadership as he spoke to reporters outside the Prosecutor General’s Office on Tuesday.

"We must not tolerate illegality in the country, nor assume that those who have seized power can act with impunity. No, they cannot do whatever they want,” Chalabyan said.

Chalabyan and other Hayakve members submitted a detailed crime report to Prosecutor General’s Office, accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and members of the ruling Civil Contract party of criminal conduct based on their public actions and statements.

Citing Article 2 of Armenia’s Constitution, which states that power belongs to the people, the activist emphasized the citizens' right to hold their government accountable.

“We, the people, are here today to demand accountability from the country’s leadership," Chalabyan said. "Being elected in 2021 does not place any official above the law. As citizens and as part of the Hayakve movement, we are committed to ensuring Armenia is governed by the rule of law, not by the personal whims of individuals. Such arbitrary rule only thrives in a climate of public apathy. We refuse to be indifferent. We are determined to help build a lawful and democratic Armenia.”

The activist also condemned what he described as widespread human rights violations under the current government.

"We witness arrests and searches on a daily basis, practices that have no place in a democratic state," Chalabyan said, stressing they are orchestrated from abroad.

"It's no coincidence that Pashazadeh [the religious leader of the Caucasus Muslims] has launched a parallel campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, using the same rhetoric as Nikol Pashinyan," he added.