Armenian activist's wife accuses EU of silence on political persecution

The wife of detained activist Narek Samsonyan on Friday accused the European Union of remaining silent over politically motivated prosecutions against government critics.

“With the EU’s silence and even its patronage, political persecutions are taking place in Armenia today. Opposition figures are being silenced,” Lusine Arakelyan said at a protest outside the EU office in Yerevan.

Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan, co-hosts of the Imnemnimi podcast highly critical of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government. have been detained for two months on hooliganism charges widely dismissed by human rights advocates and experts as politically motivated.

Arakelyan said she had little expectation that EU officials would respond to the open letter she addressed to its ambassador.

“My letter was mostly for the record to document what has happened and how quietly they have tolerated it,” she said. “If the EU claims to defend free speech and democratic values, how do they not see what is happening in Armenia? Don’t they see how Pashinyan’s government is transforming, losing any sense of values or restraint?”

She added that she had also previously sent an open letter to the U.S. ambassador and attempted to deliver her message to the EU office in person.

Arakelyan said she intends to continue speaking publicly about her husband’s case.

“Silence is interpreted as acceptance,” she said. “I’ve called on the families of others who are being persecuted to speak out as well, so people can know the absurd reasons for which critics are being silenced and imprisoned.”