Armenian news agency NEWS.am has interviewed Mikayel Minasyan, Armenia’s former Ambassador to the Holy See. Below is the text of this interview.
– Mr. Minasyan, your Facebook post yesterday received a wide reaction. Your one quick remark, however, raised questions. You had noted not about the arrested former president, but the presidents. Were you implying [third President] Serzh Sargsyan? Do you think he will be arrested, too?
– Of course. This is the whole logic of the activities of these authorities: indictment and arrest. Today, a significant portion of the state resources is spent on indictments and arrests. But the problem is that it no longer works. After the first 5, 10, 15, 20 arrests, the heated public reaction has already weakened, it does not change the public mood, it does not become an agenda. Tomorrow, the next day those steps will only cause disdain, no doubt, especially because in many cases, there is an impression of corruption-risk containing dealings is being formed.
As a result of [their] own illogical steps, the authorities have created for themselves and have three difficult tasks to address at this time: the Amulsar [gold mine], the Istanbul Convention, developments around Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)]. These have been compounded by a total absence of executive and legislative work. As a result, the wave of public discontent is on the verge of going beyond the limits of being manageable; this is already visible to the authorities. Knowing well the primitive logic of these authorities, one can easily predict that instead of seeking solutions, they will go on their loved road of sidetracking public opinion through arrests. In their view, by way of deviation.
The authorities have one long-kept, planned “gold reserve” mega arrest; it is Serzh Sargsyan’s arrest. The authorities’ media trumpets have long been saying that. Simple calculation suggests that in the near future Serzh Sargsyan will be arrested to sidetrack the public from the real problems for a while more.
Moreover, the authorities’ fear from the possible consequences of the three problems I already have noted is so great that they, in all likelihood, will not be satisfied only with Serzh Sargsyan’s arrest, but will concoct something also toward one or several generals. I do not rule out that I will fill those ranks as well.
Going for the step of a myopic leak through foreign press has attested [to the fact] that one of our heros –Major General Samvel Karapetyan – will also be arrested. It is not hard to understand why they [the Armenian authorities] need that. It is apparent that they also have a task of silencing the military elite.
– In your view, is Serzh Sargsyan aware of this scenario, of the possible developments? And is he ready for it?
– He is always ready for any development of events. Serzh Sargsyan will be arrested and, with that, he will serve his next great service to his people. He will be imprisoned, and everyone will once and for all be convinced that if we remove the arrests from the “revolution,” then as a result, nothing remains. The people’s condition—all the same—is not changing, the investments are not increasing, new jobs are not opened, life is not becoming safer and better; on the contrary, it is getting worse. Serzh Sargsyan will show—with himself—so that temperance prevails as soon as possible. By arresting him, the authorities will exhaust both the effectiveness and opportunity to use repression as a tool.
It is now a fact that the objective of the change of power [in Armenia] was the primitive fight for the seat, to comfortably sit in the seats of power; nothing else. Very soon it will be clear to everyone [as to] who is the thief and the plunderer, who is the shameful liar and the schemer without proof, moreover, who is the incapable loser. It is perhaps a twist of fate that these authorities of losers can do nothing without the figures they themselves have mythicized. Even without enmity against them, these authorities are nothing. These authorities have nothing to say and do without fighting against their [those figures’] shadow. It is funny, but a fact.
– You implied that a legal process would start against you, too. Do you think a criminal case will be brought against you, too?
– Definitely. In fact, ever since the new authorities were formed, one of the first actions [of theirs] has been to check everyone and companies associated to and with me. They have checked everything possible, and everything related to all times possible. So far, they have not succeeded, but that does not yet mean that they have stopped searching. Ultimately, it is a matter of time. As they say: if there is a person, an article [against him] will be found, and someone will be found in the legal system who will “frame” that case with the order from above.
After finding nothing [on me] for a year and a half, now launching a criminal case will already be the political order being carried out with the most direct instruction. And that is highly predictable, risky, and life will put everything in place. The authorities of the day are crossing all boundaries, [but] forgetting that we will all live under the same sky, and nothing—especially power—is eternal. And the real challenges surrounding our homeland require solutions by the hour. This is the key issue that will force the temperance of all layers of society, as soon as possible. The time has come to break down all myths.