BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 8. Armenian Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that opposition leaders must face
strict criminal liability, adding that the process of stripping
them of illicit assets will be significantly accelerated, Trend reports.
Speaking at a press briefing following the parliamentary
elections, Pashinyan emphasized that the victory of his ruling
Civil Contract party provides a clear mandate to completely
dismantle the old political and financial networks.
The Prime Minister refused to classify his opponents as
legitimate political factions, describing them instead as remnants
of the former establishment.
“Our position on this matter has not changed. The leaders of
these forces must be held accountable in the manner prescribed by
the legislation of the Republic of Armenia. They must face criminal
liability for cases already known to the public. Ultimately, these
forces are not political forces. They represent an oligarchic
system. The entire criminal-oligarchic clan must face liability
under the law, and all property acquired illegally must be
confiscated,” Nikol Pashinyan said.
He specifically called for intensifying legal procedures against
what he termed the “party of war” and the “party of economic
plunder,” stressing that their total eradication remains a
paramount task for the incoming administration.
“Depriving the criminal-oligarchic system of illegally acquired
assets must proceed significantly faster and at a higher
pace—through mechanisms of confiscation of property of illicit
origin, criminal prosecution, and the system for protecting state
and community interests. There should be no space for their
activity left in the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan concluded.
