Zakharova reminds Pashinyan of his calls for surrender in 2018

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova spoke about the persecution of Russian businessman Samvel Karapetyan in Armenia, recalling Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s calls in 2018.

According to Zakharova, seven years ago, during protests, Pashinyan called on the country’s authorities to surrender to the protesters.

“I would like to quote Nikol Pashinyan. During a rally in Yerevan in 2018, he said: ‘The authorities must unconditionally and without any reservations recognize the victory of our revolution and show no desire to remain in power,’” Zakharova stated.

The diplomat added that earlier, law enforcement officials in Yerevan had accused Karapetyan of making calls to seize power.

“Now we hear that in Yerevan, according to his [Karapetyan’s] lawyer, there are accusations against the Russian businessman for making certain calls for a change of power. I am simply quoting the head of the Armenian state,” Zakharova noted.

To remind, Karapetyan was detained on the night of June 18; the day before, his house in Yerevan was searched. The businessman is in conflict with Prime Minister Pashinyan, who is sharply and openly criticizing the Armenian Church.