Activist blames Armenian authorities for assault on Mihran Hakobyan

Political prisoner Narek Samsonyan has blamed the Armenian authorities for an assault on opposition activist and former MP Mihran Hakobyan, who was hospitalized with a nasal fracture and other head injuries after being attacked by a group of masked men on Monday. Below is the full text of Samsonyan's statement released from the Armavir Penitentiary Institution.

"The sole party responsible for the cowardly attack on Mihran Hakobyan is Armenia's ruling regime and its leader.

The legal impunity that has taken hold in the country could only lead to one logical next step: physical assaults against government critics in the streets. In general, the regime is rapidly descending into full-fledged authoritarianism, a path for which its leader will ultimately bear a heavy price.

The expressions of Western solidarity toward the regime’s abuses function as a “double-edged sword”. Just as quickly as they have been extended, they may turn against the regime and its leader. Muammar Gaddafi, too, enjoyed the indulgence of the governments of the United Kingdom, France, and even the United States for decades, despite committing all manner of abuses in Libya. Yet one day, that carte blanche came to an end. Incidentally, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has now been convicted by a French court for corruption linked to his dealings with Gaddafi.

I strongly believe that, in Armenia’s case as well, the reserve of Western political blindness will eventually run out and all those responsible for what is happening in the country today will be held accountable.

I express my solidarity with Mihran Hakobyan. I am convinced that had the attack not been carried out from behind, suddenly, and by several masked individuals, the perpetrators themselves would likely have faced far more serious consequences."