Sputnik Armenia: “Pashinyan and the Parliamentarians Will Be Brought to Court” – Mikael Minasyan Accuses Armenian Authorities of a Constitutional Coup
05.07.2020
Mikael Minasyan, Armenia’s former ambassador to the Vatican, has stated that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and numerous members of parliament should face trial. He also directed sharp criticism at President Armen Sargsyan.
In late June, Armenia’s Parliament—represented by the ruling “My Step” faction—passed constitutional amendments amid a boycott by the opposition factions “Prosperous Armenia” and “Enlightened Armenia.” Meanwhile, the president signed amendments to the Law “On the Regulations of the National Assembly,” effectively making his signature no longer required for the adoption of constitutional amendments.
“The law that Parliamentary Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan is about to sign will serve as final proof for the trial of those behind the constitutional coup (89 deputies plus one),” Minasyan wrote in a Facebook post. “Whoever comes to power, the 89 parliamentarians and Nikol Pashinyan will stand trial on this charge.”
Minasyan believes that Armenia’s President Armen Sargsyan could also be added to the list of future defendants. However, since he did not sign the Constitutional Amendments passed by the National Assembly, it became clear that no hopes or expectations should be placed on him. Still, the former ambassador to the Vatican holds him accountable for his inaction.
According to Minasyan, Sargsyan is a globally-minded individual, well-informed about international processes, with connections to both Soviet-era elites and members of royal families, as well as corporate executives.
Taking this very circumstance into account—despite having some reservations—I congratulated him on his election, as I believed that, assuming the presidency at the age of 65, he would finally begin to live and act for the benefit of the Republic of Armenia,” Minasyan said.
He added that he had been mistaken about Sargsyan, as it turned out he was serving only for Pashinyan’s benefit.
