Your trusted source

The Governing Board of the opposition Bright Armenia Party has reacted to Sunday’s search in the Arinj villa of Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan and his subsequent questioning at the National Security Service as part of three criminal cases.

Reiterating that perpetrators should be prosecuted and sentenced in accordance with the Armenian law, the party at the same time “condemns political influence and control over any criminal prosecution.”

“Anyone who violates the law should be held accountable facing the full force of the law, but the use of legal proceedings, as well as blackmail and compromising materials, as a political tool to silence and repress opponents, is unacceptable and reprehensible,” the statement said, stating any political influence over law enforcement “damages the legitimacy of criminal proceedings.”

“In addition to these processes, representatives of the ruling force, including deputies and ministers, were sharing evidence containing preliminary investigation secrecy on social media.

Moreover, those officials made statements with a clear violation of the presumption of innocence.

It is noteworthy that criminal cases were opened over different cases on the same day and the same person was summoned for questioning as part of the cases.

It clearly shows that criminal prosecution is taking place under political interference and control…The Bright Armenia Party strongly condemns the launch of criminal proceedings and the selective application of the law based on political expediency,” the statement read.

The party urged the authorities to deal with the coronavirus crisis, instead of interfering with the law enforcement activity.