Political analysts: Armenia avoids worsening relations with Russia because of Airapetyan

The Armenian authorities did not try to seek the release of businessman Levon Airapetyan because of fear to worsen relations with Russia. Political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe the Levon Airapetyan's death in a Mordovian penal colony will also not affect the Armenia-Russia relations.

On October 18, philanthropist Levon Airapetyan, who funded charitable projects in Nagorno-Karabakh, died in a penal colony in Mordovia. An advocate of the businessman stated that Levon Airapetyan was seriously ill and should not have been imprisoned.

Ruben Megrabyan, an expert of the Centre for Political and International Studies, associates the passivity of Armenia concerning the release Levon Airapetyan with the country's unwillingness to spoil relations with Russia.

Arthur Sakunts, the head of the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, sees another reason for the Armenian authorities' silence in a personal revenge of President Serzh Sargsyan, who was criticized by Levon Airapetyan.

Political analyst Grant Mikaelyan, a researcher at the Caucasus Institute, believes that anti-Russian sentiments will grow only in the part of the society that followed the fate of Levon Airapetyan. Besides, the Russia's policy has also been earlier criticized by many politically activists of Armenia, noted the political analyst.

The Armenian society is passive, but the passivity hides a kind of "discontent," which can be manifested "absolutely unpredictably," believes political analyst Ruben Megrabyan.

Residents of Armenia did not remain indifferent to the Levon Airapetyan's death in a Russian penal colony, but many problems fail to provoke due reaction because of "the society's fatigue," rights defender Arthur Sakunts believes.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.