Artur Vanetsyan: Intimidation through imprisonment no longer works

Homeland Party leader Artur Vanetsyan addressed the detention of his fellow party member Khachik Galstyan in an interview with Hraparak on Friday.

"His defense is being handled by a team of attorneys who maintain there are no grounds for criminal prosecution or detention," he said.

"Our struggle is not limited to Khachik Galstyan. We are fighting for the release of all political prisoners. Party affiliation should not matter. No one should face prosecution for holding views that differ from those of the current leadership.

"In my opinion, Armenia today has an unprecedented number of people imprisoned for their political views. We hardly faced such a situation before," Vanetsyan stated.

The opposition leader shared concerns that more politically motivated arrests are possible in Armenia ahead of the June parliamentary elections.

"The authorities are not hiding their intentions. They openly warn that those who “misbehave” will be detained. But intimidation through imprisonment no longer works. People are ready to sacrifice their freedom for their principles and struggle," he said.

Vanetsyan claimed the arrests vould weaken the opposition during the organizational phase of the campaign.

"That risk certainly exists. Galstyan is the secretary-general of the Homeland Party and has played a major role in organizing our campaign. His removal, even temporarily, complicates our work," he said, stressing that those responsible for unlawful actions cannot escape accountability.