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MP Hayk Mamijanyan of the opposition Pativ Unem faction delivered remarks at the Political Assembly of the European People's Party (EPP) in Brussels on Tuesday. His full statement is provided below.

"Thank you, honourable Mister President, dear colleagues,

What is the definition of the word "crime"?

That is the question I want to raise here, at the altar of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Is revealing the truth government tries to hide from its citizens a crime? That's exactly why the Vice-President of the Republican Party Mr Armen Ashotyan is under pre-trial arrest for more than seven months.

Is expressing your political views via Facebook live or status a crime? That is why Narek Malyan is in jail for more than four months.

Or is winning in a local election a crime? That is why the elected mayor of Vanadzor Mamikon Aslanian is in jail for more than two years.

Or would you call a crime peacefully protesting in the centre of Yerevan demanding from government to do something to rescue their parents blockaded in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azeri armed forces? This is why, at this very moment, 11 students are in court, four of them spent months in jail and are still there.

As of November 2023, there were more than 50 political prisoners in Armenia. And these are not just words of an opposition MP. The European People's Party and the Centrist Democrat International adopted resolutions regarding Armen Ashotian and other political prisoners.

Is a fighting in a war that Azerbaijan started against us a crime? That is exactly why Armenian POWs have been kept hostage in Baku, as a bargaining chip since 2020 until now.

Or maybe peacefully living in your homeland is a crime. Because the civilian Vagif Khachatryan was convicted of enormous sentence by the Azerbaijani court just for that reason.

Or is organising the defence of your own people against aggression a crime? That is exactly why Levon Mnatsakanyan and David Manukyan are in Baku jail at the moment.

Or perhaps giving a hope to your compatriots or simply being a philanthropist is a crime. That is the reason why Aliyev's regime is holding Ruben Vardanyan accountable by arresting him.

Since when serving your own country with honour and duty is such a crime that David Babayan and Davit Ishkhanyan have to be kept under custody in Baku.

Or is running a country that by the reports of various international organisations was incomparable by the level of democracy to Azerbaijan such a crime that Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Saakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan should be in prison?

Well, it turns out that being a democratically elected president is a crime for Mr Aliyev.

Mentioning these facts in the reports and resolutions adopted by this Assembly and other international organisations gives those people a tiny light of hope while they are looking at the checkered sun for a very long time.

We owe it to them, at least."