Persecutions against architects of anti-Azerbaijani propaganda ‘blow to our national values’ – political scientist

Davit Sargsyan

The political persecutions against individuals who, for many years, conducted an active anti-Azerbaijani propaganda deliver a heavy blow to our national values, offering a good trump card to our enemies, according to Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, a Program Chair and Associate Professor at the School of Political Science and International Affairs (PSIA), American University of Armenia (AUA).

In an interview with ArmNews TV channel, the historian blamed the parliamentary diplomacy for a “criminal inaction” during the recent Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), noting that the cooperation with European states (as part of parliamentary friendship groups) could have essentially contributed to favorable soluitions and outcomes.

In his words, the past three years saw the current authorities “cross out all the good traditions” developed over decades, threatening uncertainties amid the intenstifying Turkish-Azerbaijani propaganda. The expert referred, in particular, to an information cooperation deal signed  in Baku in late 2020 between the Turkish and Azerbaijani leaders. “The Turkish and Azerbaijani state [propaganda] machines are in a kind of synergy now, with the [hate] language coming from Baku making its way into the Turkish media without further editting. Armenia has been left alone in the face of all this; what’s even worse, the state machine, tasked with resisting the Azerbaijani propaganda is totally dillapidated now, with its authors – Ara Saghatelyan, Karen Bekayan and Angela Elibekova - facing persecution,” Ter-Matevosyan noted.  

The expert said he also believes that the information operations – pursued internally, as well as externally – have, in a way, weakened also the general public vigilance. “This kind of steps by the authorities are just condemnable. We forget about the general panaorama where the authorities have absolutely nothing to do - with all their actions and failures. Fundamental issues such as where we are heading now have been totally pushed to the background. We are in a crisis,” he said, condemning also the authorities’ antagonistic theses questioning the historical roots of Artsakh.  

“Turkey and Azerbaijan are very closely following the domestic political developments in Armenia,  understanding well that this is too far from being the end of all. Our domain - when it comes to information security - has been left absolutely defenseless now, with any country’s special services having easily the chance to conduct operations here. We are in a very painful phase, as this is our most serious political and historical crisis after 1920. The loss of sovereignty is the most painful sensation whose traces will be visible for long,” the historian added.