MP says Armenian authorities willing to hurt ordinary citizens to achieve political goals

Opposition lawmaker Elinar Vardanyan accused the Armenian country's authorities of carrying out politically motivated prosecutions and said the government was prepared to harm ordinary citizens in pursuit of its political objectives.

Speaking at the first news conference of a commission on the rights of those prosecuted for political reasons on Tuesday, Vardanyan said leaders of political parties had faced political persecution during both the pre-election and post-election periods.

Vardanyan described the criminal case against Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan as more than a legal proceeding, calling it an act of political retaliation and personal vendetta orchestrated by the country's leader.

"This is not simply a criminal prosecution," Vardanyan said. "It is retribution carried out by law enforcement at the instruction of one individual." She argued that the authorities had long signaled their intentions, referring to earlier public pledges to strip Tsarukyan of his assets, prosecute him and imprison him.

Vardanyan also alleged that the government was willing to undermine the livelihoods of ordinary Armenians to advance its political agenda.

"We are seeing that alongside Gagik Tsarukyan's detention, the operations of numerous businesses have been disrupted," she said. "The current authorities are prepared to violate any right, including the rights to personal liberty and to work, to achieve their goals."