In Armenia, supporting democracy and supporting the current government are two fundamentally different things. This was stated by political analyst Hrant Mikaelyan.
According to him, the country is currently undergoing a serious authoritarian process.
“In recent months, an opposition mayor has been killed, and three other opposition community heads have been arrested,” he said.
Mikaelyan noted that local self-government in Armenia is being effectively dismantled by the authorities. He added that the government openly declares that it will not allow the opposition to win in certain communities, such as Vagharshapat.
He also pointed out that attacks continue against the movement led by Samvel Karapetyan, who remains under arrest.
“Yesterday, an archbishop was imprisoned. Of course, we haven’t yet reached 1937 levels, when everyone was jailed, but there is already a direct attack on the Armenian Apostolic Church,” he said.
Mikaelyan emphasized that the authorities are seizing all levers of control, suppressing dissent, and maintaining power through authoritarian methods.
According to him, the first goal of this policy is to implement the so-called peace agenda with Azerbaijan.
The second goal is to create an illusion of European integration.
Mikaelyan noted that Armenia has no real prospects for EU membership, and even the issue of visa liberalization remains uncertain, yet the government seeks to create the impression that these things are achievable in order to justify its moves toward severing ties with Russia.
He emphasized that these agendas do not align with Armenia’s national interests, and that many — especially national institutions such as the church — are opposing them.
“That is precisely why the authorities are trying to pressure, dismantle, and weaken these institutions,” he concluded.