Your trusted source

Non-partisan MP Taguhi Tovmasyan calls on the international community to respond to the restriction of opposition figure Edgar Ghazaryan’s right to free speech. Below is the full text of her statement released on Monday.

"This morning, I have already sent urgent letters to the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Committee of Ministers, the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Directorate of Human Rights of the Council of Europe, and all ambassadors accredited in Armenia. In these letters, I informed them that in the so-called democratic Armenia built by Nikol Pashinyan, Edgar Ghazaryan’s right to free speech has been restricted by a court ruling. This was done solely because of his political and critical statements, which means that he is a political prisoner.

In my letter, I specified that Edgar Ghazaryan had conducted a professional analysis of the Constitutional Court’s ruling of September 26, 2024, which recognized the demarcation regulations as compliant with the Armenian Constitution. He argued that this decision directly harmed Armenia’s national interests, a view shared by many other public figures. However, citing alleged discrediting of the Constitutional Court and its judges, the court imposed administrative oversight specifically on Edgar Ghazaryan, restricting his right to criticize judges, investigators, prosecutors, bailiffs, and their close relatives. All of this was initiated based on a petition filed by ECHR Judge Vahe Grigoryan.

This is a direct restriction on freedom of speech—one of the most fundamental and highly protected rights under both the Armenian Constitution and international conventions.

In the letter, I also recalled the highly important statement made by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on February 14, 2025, during the Munich Security Conference regarding freedom of speech, which I quote:

“In America, you cannot obtain a democratic mandate if you censor your opponents or imprison them—whether that opponent is the leader of the opposition, a humble Christian praying in their own home, or a journalist simply trying to cover events.

You cannot obtain a democratic mandate if you ignore the opinion of your core electorate on issues such as who may be a member of our shared society…”

Taking into account the U.S. Vice President’s formulation of democracy and freedom of speech, I expect that the international community will at least express its position on this alarming case of Edgar Ghazaryan and take appropriate steps to prevent restrictions on freedom of speech.

Ultimately, we must determine to what extent the administrative oversight imposed by the court on Edgar Ghazaryan—which directly prohibits him from speaking and criticizing certain officials—fits within the standards of democracy and freedom of speech."