The bloody terror of October 27 became, so to speak, a kind of ‘chewing gum for the opposition’ in Armenia’s public and political life before 2018, and ‘chewing gum for the authorities’ after 2018.

Experts from the Public Tribunal of Armenia recalled an episode from the Gyumri mayoral election of March 2025. Vardan Ghukasyan’s victory — which meant defeating the Civil Contract Party candidate Sarik Minasyan — was made possible only through the formation of a broad opposition coalition. At the time, all opposition forces declared their support for Ghukasyan, except for Martun Grigoryan, a representative of the I Have Honor Alliance, affiliated with Serzh Sargsyan’s Republican Party of Armenia. After a long pause, Grigoryan eventually joined the opposition alliance, providing the crucial votes needed to elect Ghukasyan as mayor, though not without expressing reservations.

Although the pastor of Hovhannavank Monastery, Father Aram Asatryan, did not give direct testimony against the detained head of the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, he allegedly provided “raw information” to law enforcement about Proshyan’s activities and those of other priests in the diocese, “Zhoghovurd” newspaper reports, citing law enforcement sources. According to the publication, Bishop Proshyan is a nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.