MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. Narek Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia parliamentary faction, announced that opposition groups are pooling their efforts against the authorities led by Nikol Pashinyan after meeting with their representatives and signing a joint statement.
TASS has summarized the key facts about the situation.
Opposition statement
- The joint statement read out by Narek Karapetyan said nationwide unity arises from recognition of "the full gravity of the momentous challenges facing the Armenian people and Armenian statehood."
- He said the key priorities would include opposing the imposition of an "Aliyev constitution" - a draft promoted by Pashinyan that, according to the Armenian opposition, would satisfy several Azerbaijani demands. Other priorities include peace without unilateral concessions or territorial losses, safeguarding national values and the Armenian Apostolic Church, and restoring democratic rights and freedoms.
- Karapetyan said all signatories had agreed to rally around priority national interests, promote public solidarity and address the challenges facing the country.
- He urged other political groups to join the initiative, noting that the Armenian people had often endured suffering throughout their history because of disunity.
Opposition meeting
- Narek Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia faction, held a meeting with opposition representatives on the evening of November 4.
- Footage showed participants from former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia alliance, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun, former President Serzh Sargsyan’s Republican Party of Armenia, Hayakve, Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia party, former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s Armenian National Congress and other groups.
- Representatives of 12 political groups were present.
Samvel Karapetyan’s detention
- On November 4, reports said Armenian Investigative Committee officers were searching the homes of Samvel Karapetyan and Strong Armenia parliamentary faction leader Narek Karapetyan.
- The party said searches were also taking place at other addresses linked to the Karapetyans.
- The Investigative Committee confirmed that simultaneous searches were being conducted at 65 addresses as part of a case investigated by its Main Department for the Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling.
- It later emerged that 36 people, including Samvel Karapetyan, had been detained in a case involving the abuse of authority in the private sector and financial damage to Electric Networks of Armenia on a particularly large scale.
- The Investigative Committee subsequently said it had petitioned a court to place nine of those detained, including Samvel Karapetyan, in custody.
- Narek Karapetyan said the case against Strong Armenia leader Samvel Karapetyan had not yet been referred to a judge.
- Yerevan’s Anti-Corruption Court remanded Samvel Karapetyan in custody for one month, Armenian news outlet 24news reported on November 5.