The Hayastan alliance has called on the European Union not to ignore what it described as “developments in Armenia and the collapse of democracy.”
Representatives of the alliance and their supporters gathered at Mergelyan Park and marched toward the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, where the 8th European Political Community summit is taking place.
“We will urge European high-ranking officials not to turn a blind eye to democratic backsliding in Armenia and the establishment of an increasingly overt one-man rule. Today, we have dozens of political prisoners, people are being tried on fabricated cases, criminal proceedings are launched on illogical charges, and arrests are made. In this context, cases against those who have actually committed crimes sometimes fail to progress,for example, the driver who hit pregnant Sona Mnatsakanyan,” said Artur Khachatryan, a member of the “Hayastan” faction, Sputnik Armenia reports.
According to him, the narrative that the Armenian authorities present themselves as defenders of democracy while portraying the opposition as agents of external influence does not reflect reality.
Khachatryan also referred to statements by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, saying they once again demonstrate what he described as a hostile stance. He added that Aliyev used the platform to distort Armenian reality and history.
Some participants held placards with various messages. One depicted three monkeys—covering eyes, mouth, and ears—with inscriptions such as “EU in Armenia” and “EU human rights in Armenia.” Protesters chanted slogans including “Freedom to hostages held in Baku” and “Freedom to Armenian political prisoners.”
Around 50 high-level delegations, including European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and French President Emmanuel Macron, have arrived in Armenia for the summit, held at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.
