Human beings and their dignity have long ceased to be an absolute value in Armenia: statement

Arsen Gevorgyan, the Strong Armenia party’s candidate for head of the enlarged Stepanavan community in the local government elections, has died in a penitentiary institution. Political forces united around a national agenda issued a joint statement on his death.

“Arsen Gevorgyan is yet another victim of political persecution, a clearly unlawful preventive measure and a targeted smear campaign unleashed by Nikol Pashinyan’s government. This tragedy reveals a horrifying reality: human beings and their dignity have long ceased to be an absolute value in Armenia, and the use of arrest to pressure opposition figures has become an instrument of reprisal.

Full responsibility for Arsen Gevorgyan’s death lies with the ruling force and with the representatives of the legal system who rubber-stamp its unlawful instructions.

➖ We condemn in the strongest possible terms the atmosphere of political reprisal that leads to such tragic consequences;
➖ We call on all political actors and public forces to unconditionally condemn this case;
➖ We call on all international bodies and diplomatic missions to clearly assess the mass human rights violations in Armenia and the practice of political persecution that is costing human lives.

This tragedy has once again confirmed that restoring democratic freedoms and rights is imperative. Arsen Gevorgyan’s memory obliges us to fight to the end for upholding human rights, dignity and the rule of law in Armenia,” the statement reads.