Hovhannes Avetisyan wrote a letter to the Head of the European Union Delegation, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos addressing his concerns on political repressions against oppositions activists and politicians organized by current authorities

His Excellency Vassilis Maragos
Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia

Honorable Mister Ambassador,
My name is Hovhannes Avetisyan and I am writing to express my disappointment and concerns over the drastically deteriorating human rights situation in Armenia, namely what appears to be a new wave of repressions and detentions of those who speak out against the current authorities. The European Union has considerable support for the Armenian government’s reform agenda including the modernizing law enforcement institutions and overall justice system supposedly for the benefit of the Armenian people. That being so, the EU holds a share of responsibility and its reputation is at stake for the lapse in the administration of justice and rule of law in Armenia. What is really frustrating, the RA Police and the Investigative Committee are targeting well-educated change agents among others, who are able to challenge the government’s irresponsible and corrupt behavior.
I am an Armenian citizen who received funding from the U.S. Government in 2012 to study at the State University of Georgia through the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program. I hold degrees in Diplomacy, Public Policy, Public Administration and Economics from four universities, including an MPA degree from Harvard University. I was serving in the Government of Armenia until 2012 and among other duties I was leading Armenian-USA Trade and Investment Working Group, U.S. – Armenia Task Force. And I am still serving to my country as an independent consultant to various reform projects.
I am committed to serving my nation and becoming a statesman dedicated to a safe, democratic, just and prosperous Armenia. This is my vision for Armenia that made me arrive in the U.S. to learn and develop professionally and become strong in values and in my belief “that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
I would not write you this letter if the situation was not exacerbating day by day and if democracy and basic human rights were not under serious threat in Armenia each and other day. And the core of the problem is the authoritarian system that the current Government led by Nikol Pashinyan is consistently building by targeting all the opposition voices with the use of police and justice system for oppressing and silencing them. In similar situations it comes as no surprise that I and eight other young opposition activists have been illegally detained and arrested recently with fabricated charges, specifically “possession of illegal firearms.”
Your efforts to reform Armenia’s public sector including the justice and police systems are commendable. And it saddens me to say that the EU support appears wasted, as our government is not utilizing it to establish a true democratic system, ensure fair justice, or create a police force guided by legal principles, human rights, and dignity. This is evidenced by the significant rise in crime rate, the poorly functioning justice system, and more specifically the way the current government is leveraging the EU and the U.S. support to establish a repressive regime in Armenia. The government is using the EU backing to implement targeted political repressions and enforce selective justice, effectively creating an authoritarian system. Recent actions by the police and justice system against hundreds of Armenian citizens, politically motivated arrests, including my own, clearly demonstrate this situation.
Honorable Mister Ambassador, I believe you understand that the support the European Union provides to this government, particularly its ongoing use of it for political repressions, will lead to serious consequences. The most concerning outcome would be the deterioration of Armenian-EU relations. Therefore, I urge you to rethink and reassess the effectiveness and purpose of the EU support. Please reconsider the extent of your support to this government and make sure it is not used to foster an authoritarian system to carry out political repressions against Armenian citizens.
I remain available, may you wish to talk through my concerns raised in this letter. I may discuss in more detail the nature of organized repressions, which I and other opposition activists/politicians have been going through recently. I am sincerely looking forward to seeing you being vocal on addressing this important issue.
Sincerely yours,
Hovhannes Avetisyan, MPA (Harvard)

November 12, 2024