Gyumri, but not now: Armenian authorities are increasing pressure on the opposition

There is a new round of confrontation between the government and the opposition in Armenia. On Monday, October 20, security forces searched the Gyumri City Hall, after which they detained Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. At the same time, the authorities initiated a new attack on the Armenian church. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

What happened

On Monday, October 20, Armenian security forces raided the Gyumri City Hall. According to eyewitnesses, 60-70 people entered the building and "laid them all on the floor."

At the same time, the Anti-Corruption Committee reported that following the results of the investigative actions, it was decided to detain eight people, among them the opposition mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. It is alleged that the official legalized illegal buildings for bribes, forged documents, and also collected dirt on members of the Council of Elders (city Parliament) in order to control them through blackmail.

During the searches, local residents began to flock to the Gyumri City Hall, many of them whistling and chanting "Shame" and "Fight," resulting in a scuffle with security forces. Against this background, Vice Mayor Gagik Manukyan released a video message in which he called on the townspeople to protect the mayor. Ghukasyan himself wrote on a social network that it was time to "defend your rights."

For several hours, the security forces did not dare to detain Ghukasyan, simply blocking the official in his office. It was only on the afternoon of October 20 that the police finally took the man out of the room. "Listen to me, everything will be fine. We act according to the law," he managed to tell his supporters. Later it became known that the mayor was taken to Yerevan.

What is the essence of the conflict

Gyumri is the second largest city in Armenia after Yerevan. Elections to the city parliament were held here this spring, and the victory was won by the collective opposition. Representatives of the protest forces eventually nominated communist Vardan Ghukasyan for mayor, while the candidate from the ruling party remained out of office.

The mayor did not limit himself to the issues of public utilities. He has repeatedly said that he supports Armenia's rapprochement with Russia, because Moscow is a more reliable ally than Western countries. In September, he delivered a devastating speech in which he stated the pressure of the authorities on the opposition, the critical state of the defense sector and the policy of the Armenian authorities towards the "Turkification" of the republic.

After that, on October 1, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during a speech in parliament, called Ghukasyan's election a misunderstanding that needs to be "corrected." According to the head of government, the mayor is involved in corruption and is engaged in undermining state sovereignty. "We have to kick [such people] out of the political and public field," Pashinyan said.

Ghukasyan replied that he was not going to comment on the scandalous statements. "If the prime minister uses such words in relation to a man who was elected mayor and deputy, then I just want to tell the Armenian people: look who we elected prime minister," he said. At that time, many in Armenia considered Pashinyan's words to be a signal for the persecution of the mayor, and less than a month later, it came to detention.

Who else are the Armenian authorities fighting

This is not the only scandal in the political space of the republic in recent years. In mid-October, the confrontation between the civil authorities and the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) escalated. On the 15th, security forces conducted searches in the Aragatsotn diocese. As a result, 12 priests and Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, who is also the nephew of Catholicos Karekin II, were detained.

In addition, pro-government media published an audio recording of an alleged conversation between two priests of the Armenian Apostolic Church. One of the interlocutors complained that the Catholicos allegedly forced him to participate in opposition rallies, and for refusing, he sent him to serve in a distant provincial parish. The Investigative Committee then opened a criminal case, although they stressed that there were no specific defendants yet.

At the same time, the Armenian media write that the authorities are planning new arrests of the clergy in order to paralyze the work of the Armenian Apostolic Church and achieve the resignation of Garegin II. It is claimed that they want to depose the church leader on October 27, when the anniversary of his enthronement is celebrated. It is emphasized that the authorities are unlikely to authorize the arrest of the Catholicos himself, in order not to provoke large-scale protests, they will put pressure through their entourage and relatives.

Against this background, the Armenian opposition has intensified. On October 18, the "Our Way" movement held a march and rally in the center of Yerevan. The participants demanded the release of Samvel Karapetyan, the founder of the association, and representatives of the clergy. In addition, it was announced the creation of a political party based on the movement, which will participate in the parliamentary elections next summer.

On October 19, the oppositionists made a pilgrimage to the Etchmiadzin Monastery, where Garegin II's residence is located. He blessed those who came, and also urged them not to give in to problems and difficulties. "Despite the anti—church and reprehensible actions of the ruling authorities, our Holy Church will remain steadfast, strong and faithful to its people," he promised.

What the experts say

Armenian political scientist Hrant Mikaelian emphasizes that the situation in the country is heating up.

— The ruling party lost the Gyumri elections six months ago, but did not accept it. Now, by force, he is trying to overplay the situation in his favor. Pashinyan's team suffers setbacks at the local level, but then still takes revenge. These people are pushing their policy of European integration and reconciliation with Turkey in every possible way, acting as harshly as possible," he explains.

Alexander Krylov, chief researcher at the Caucasus sector of the IMEMO RAS Center for Post-Soviet Studies, says that the Armenian authorities are clearing the opposition field.

Gyumri could turn into a center of concentration of protest forces. To prevent this, Nikol Pashinyan authorized the mayor's detention. I think Vardan Ghukasyan will be behind bars at least until the parliamentary elections in June. If they manage to dig up something on him, he will go to places of serving his sentences for a long time," he emphasizes.

The expert adds that Pashinyan's opponents are unable to organize effective resistance.

— We have just seen sluggish protest attempts in Gyumri, which have yielded nothing. We remember last year's rallies led by church leaders, who gradually ran out of steam. We also observed the recent marches of the political opposition in Yerevan, which also did not gather a critical mass of participants. At the same time, we must admit that the authorities behave quite consistently. I think they have every chance to completely clear the political space from competitors," the source notes.