The National Civic Union Hayakve issued a statement condemning the Armenian government for attempting to establish a “blatant neo-Bolshevik totalitarian regime.”
The group claims the government shows a particularly outrageous attitude toward the Armenian Apostolic Church, “acting no less brutally than the Bolsheviks or the Young Turks.”
“The dictatorial regime in Armenia, having turned the law enforcement system into a tool for its own interests, continues its repressive policies to silence free speech,” the statement says.
According to Hayakve, the authorities are acting “on behalf of enemies of the Armenian people,” attempting to dismantle the Church.
“The Republic of Armenia has never seen this many political prisoners since independence. This indicates a transition from a dictatorial regime to open neo-Bolshevik totalitarianism.”
“Hayakve” strongly condemns what it calls the regime’s unconstitutional and anti-democratic behavior and expresses solidarity with those targeted by its actions.
The group urges all citizens “to raise their voices and stop the further reproduction of the dictatorial regime,” and calls on “national forces” to unite and collectively push back against what they label as anti-democratic leadership.
On October 15, law enforcement officers searched the residence of Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, head of the Aragatsotn Diocese. He was detained along with 12 other clergymen and staff. The Investigative Committee later reported that three people, including the bishop, were arrested and are now under public criminal prosecution on charges of abusing official position to obstruct electoral rights and using official authority to compel participation in gatherings. The bishop has been placed under two-month pretrial detention.
