ARF criticizes targeting of opposition donors

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Body of Armenia has issued a statement alleging that investigative authorities have begun targeting individuals who made donations to opposition political parties.

The ARF also drew attention to what it described as “one-man neo-Bolshevism” and state-level electoral corruption.

“The current authorities of the Republic of Armenia, facing a crisis of legitimacy, have taken legal arbitrariness against political opponents to a new level by ruthlessly using the law enforcement system to achieve their objectives. Not content with unlawful wiretapping, detentions, arrests and numerous illegal criminal prosecutions, compliant investigative bodies have now turned to persecuting individuals who donated to opposition parties.

For a considerable period, investigative authorities have, in essence, unlawfully detained and illegally ‘questioned’ ARF members, supporters and ordinary citizens who made donations to the party in accordance with legal requirements. This comes despite numerous undeniable reports published in the media indicating that the Civil Contract party itself received illegal income and made comprehensive and impermissible use of administrative resources for its own partisan interests during elections. As expected, law enforcement and other competent authorities remain silent in such cases,” the statement said.

Describing these actions as violations of Articles 8 and 46 of Armenia’s Constitution and “an obvious attempt to undermine the foundations of democracy,” the ARF called on international organizations and election observation missions to provide an objective and impartial assessment of the authorities’ conduct.

“We demand that law enforcement bodies immediately return to the rule of law and comply with the requirements of the Constitution and the Constitutional Law on Political Parties.

We draw public attention to the political authorities’ one-man neo-Bolshevism and state-level electoral corruption.

We declare that the thousands of ARF members, supporters and backers will not yield to the abuses of the punitive machinery, will not be intimidated by fabricated interrogations, and will resolutely continue the struggle against the current ruling administration for a lawful, democratic and secure Armenia,” the statement said.

According to the final election results, the parties represented in parliament are Civil Contract with 64 seats, Strong Armenia with 29 seats, and the Hayastan Alliance with 12 seats.