“We live in times when people are jailed for freedom of speech”: Arman Abovyan

The arrest of Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, contains all the elements of authoritarianism. This was stated by Arman Abovyan, political analyst, during a panel discussion titled “Armenia on the path to authoritarianism” at the Alpha Media Centre.

According to him, an authoritarian system of governance is taking shape in the country. “First of all, we need to understand what is meant by the term authoritarianism. One of its clear examples is the arrest of Gagik Tsarukyan. It contains all the elements of authoritarianism. By authoritarianism, we mean a situation in which a person is restricted in expressing their own opinion. This applies both to liking posts on social media and to basic freedom of speech, for which people are being thrown in prison,” he noted.

According to Abovyan, manifestations of authoritarianism and fascism in different countries often begin with similar processes. “First people succumb to the temptation, they ‘fall in love,’ and then, alongside that, the pressure intensifies. We live in times when you can be subjected to torture for talking about the dangers facing the country,” he emphasized.