Artur Khachikyan: Seven Years After the “Velvet Revolution” — A System of Corruption and Impunity

Stanford University professor Artur Khachikyan has sharply criticized Armenia’s incumbent authorities, accusing them of deceiving the Armenian people and failing to fulfill the promises made during the 2018 “Velvet Revolution.” According to him, the authorities not only failed to eradicate corruption but, in many respects, surpassed the previous regime in both corruption and incompetent governance.

Khachikyan recalled that the revolution was carried out by the people in the hope that corruption would be eliminated, governance would become transparent, and the state would be accountable. Citizens took to the streets to fight injustice and corruption, believing that genuine and profound change was possible.

However, seven years later, it has become evident that those promises were nothing more than empty words. Instead of peace in Artsakh (Karabakh), the country experienced three wars, suffered more than 5,000 casualties, and saw entire regions depopulated. Instead of democracy, Armenia now faces pressure, intimidation, and the establishment of a police state, where security forces in black masks can break into homes, engage in blackmail and slander, and carry out arbitrary arrests.

Khachikyan cited specific examples demonstrating that corruption continues unabated: millions of dollars in state funds have been transferred to offshore accounts, government programs have produced no tangible results, and the prime minister’s brother and the parliamentary speaker’s brother have become directors of numerous companies and frequent winners of state tenders, all without proper reporting or accountability.

He argued that the revolution was halted halfway, allowing the new regime to build a system in which personal and party interests dominate over the interests of the state. According to Khachikyan, the only way out of this crisis is public pressure: only active and persistent citizens can compel the authorities to answer for their actions and ensure transparency, the rule of law, and accountability.

In conclusion, Artur Khachikyan urged society to seek the truth, to acknowledge it, and to remember that the revolution did not begin with political figures, but with ordinary people - and that it can resume if the people so decide.