Situation in Armenia resembles political repression — Stefan Schennach

Stefan Schennach, an Austrian member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in a conversation with Alpha News commented on the political situation in Armenia and the violation of democratic norms due to the interference of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the judicial system, noting that “it resembles political repression.”

“There has been a change of government, a defeat in the war with Azerbaijan. Obviously, the opposition holds the Prime Minister accountable for this defeat, and this is quite understandable. Freedom of speech must be guaranteed in any democratic country, and the Armenian government is also obliged to respect this right. You cannot punish criticism with political repression and take away the right of people to express their opinion and criticize the authorities,” Schennach stressed.

He also remarked that the war was destined to fail, given Azerbaijan’s military support from Turkey.

“Armenia has weakened after the end of the conflict. The Council of Europe should support the three countries of the South Caucasus. We should help Georgia to return to democracy, help Armenia to find its way to a free and democratic life where freedom of speech will be ensured. The worst example is Azerbaijan, where political prisoners overcrowd the jails and democracy remains fragile. Against this backdrop, the other countries in the region appear relatively better off,” he said.