Armenian opposition figure calls Tsarukyan and Ashotyan 'political hostages'

Armenian political analyst and Democratic Alternative Party chairman Suren Surenyants on Saturday accused the government of persecuting two of his friends, businessman Gagik Tsarukyan and former education minister Armen Ashotyan, describing them as "hostages" of the current authorities.

In a Telegram post marking Ashotyan's birthday, Surenyants said the authorities had crossed "all legal and moral boundaries" in their treatment of the two opposition figures.

"My two friends, Gagik Tsarukyan and Armen Ashotyan, are, in essence, being held hostage by the ignoble government," Surenyants wrote. "The political persecution against them has long since crossed all the boundaries of law and morality, turning into a struggle against dignity and political dissent."

In his message, Surenyants praised Ashotyan as "not simply a politician" but "a devoted friend" and "an intellectual in the truest sense of the word," expressing confidence that "these difficult days will pass."

"I believe injustice cannot last forever, and that truth and justice, however delayed, will ultimately prevail," he added.