It was admirable to see Barak Obama and Hillari Clinton sitting and discussing
things together- this is the political culture. Nowadays, everybody in Armenia
talks about lack of political culture and missing elements of that.
Nevertheless, the Nature does not like, and sometimes even does not tolerate,
empty spaces. Thus, the missing elements in political culture are filled by
other elements, which are not political.

In Armenia, before and after presidential elections, we see a lot of arrests,
detentions and cases of rough state interference in economic matters. Nobody can
blame the government for fulfilling its duties. However, when the tax and custom
inspections are explicitly used to weaken the political rivals, one can hardly
observe it as realization of the rule of law principle. Many people ask a
question, why the law enforcement bodies focus their activities only on persons
sympathizing the political opposition.

In support of things said above, let us list some names of those who are
currently within the police’s attention. All these citizens are either members
of political opposition parties or their relatives and friends.

• Aram Karapetyan – chairman of the New Times party, is detained and accused with
  false crime reporting
• Petros Makeyan - chairman of the Democratic Fatherland party, detained for
  impeding the electoral commission’s work
• Smbat Ayvazyan - member of the Republic political party, detained for keeping
  illegal weapons
• Gagik Jhangiryan - former deputy of the General Prosecutor, detained for
  possessing, distributing or carrying weapons and for using force against
  governmental officials
• Vardan Jhangiryan –detained for using force against governmental officials
• Garnik Margaryan – chairman of the Fatherland and Dignity political party, was
  detained for 20 hours in the police without any formal reason
• Souren Sourenyants –member of the political board of the party
  “Republic”, arrested under the Article 225¹ , Organization and
  conduction of public events which are violating the order prescribed by law.
  Surenyants was detained and a preventive measure arrest for 20 days is
  applied to him.
• Vardan Kirakosyan and Artak Sisakyan were detained for two days in police, and
  then released, and now are called to police from time to time
• Azat Zakaryan was taken to the police, detained for several hours and then
  released
• Arsen Sargsyan- taken to police, detained for several hours and then released
• Vahan Haroutyunyan- taken to police, detained for several hours and then
  released
• Artak Sargsyan- taken to police, detained for several hours and then released
• Gourgen Yeghiazaryan- taken to police, detained for several hours and then
  released
• Housik Baghdasaryan- detained
• Seryozha Siradeghyan- detained
• Yourik Mamyan- detained