Mikayel Minasyan: Apartments of people thought to have 'connections with me'  are under search; this is yet another political raid  

In a public post on Facebook on Wednesday night, Armenia's former ambassador to the Holy See, Mikayel Minasyan, informed of recently conducted searches in the apartments of people believed to have personal connections with him.

His full statement is below:

"Since 8 o'clock this morning, [the law enforcement authorities] have conducted searches in the apartments of people who they believe "have connections" with me. With over a dozen of apartments having been searched now, we can think of this as nothing else but yet another political raid.

"Of all the possible means of communication with the political contenders, this regime opted for the method of silencing them through reprisals. And the more competitive the opponent of the regime, the more zealously those surrounding him – close ones, former colleagues friends or people who just ever greeted them – are being interrogated. No matter indeed that the accusation is fabricated, that pressure is directly being applied not for knowing the truth but for extorting testimony.

"With all their threats and public announcements in the past 1.5 years, they have no substantial and factual evidence. What metters is to keep the surroundings in a state of permanent terror.

"This is neither an exaggeration nor a manipulative method to evoke sympathy. This is a bitter truth which this regime won't even hide, applying it to virtually any person, including even those who only recently quit their ranks. The order applies also to us – without any formality - with those executing it standing ready to do their job. Here they are.

"There are already 10 instituted criminal cases, which the regime believes bear some relationship to me, my family and my surroundings. The law enforcers have already conducted 25 searches and interrogated over 400 people. Obssessed with thes same mania, they have even coerced people into saying something about me or my family.

"As a matter of fact, these authorities have selected a wrong target for their reprisals. First, because they are not likely to find anything at all – despite their probes, persecutions and searrches. So resign yourselves to the idea that there are people who have, nonetheless, respected – and keep on respecting – the laws. And do resign yourselves to the reality that you cannot possibly initiate prosecution against those people who are NOT with you. No matter how many direct orders you may get for disclosing things, you keep on cutting a more foolish figure of yourselves – without disclosing things but still persisting in your searches.   

"These authorities have selected a wrong target for their reprisals because, unlike many others, we have known from the outset what they are practically apt to.  And we know also today who and how executes those orders - coming directly from the regime – and in what manner. We know and will always remember it. All that sounds really ridiculous, primitive and a kind of childlike today."

"And we are a big army of co-thinkers, which is increasing day by day. We are unanimous – not against a specific person, or for toppling down a certain power – but around the values and goals uniting us. It is around the vision we have decided to create together. And nothing will hold us back. Keep on attacking us. We are strong; we always have been and will be."