Armenia’s Prime Minister, A Modern-Day Pharaoh

For example, in 2021, Armenia under Nikol Pashinyon prosecuted human rights activist Sashik Sultanyan, head of Yezidi Center for Human Rights, for trying to raise awareness about the plight of the persecuted Yezidi minority in Armenia. On October 3, 2020, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) initiated a criminal investigation against Sultanyan, stemming from an interview he gave to the website Yezidinews.am that was published in June 2020. In the charge sheet, which Human Rights Watch reviewed, the investigator refers to several of Sultanyan’s statements to justify the criminal investigation into inciting national enmity among Yezidis, a national and ethnic minority in Armenia.

At the time, Giorgi Gogia, Europe and Central Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, stated: “Although Armenian authorities might disagree with the content of Sultanyan’s interview, the opinions he expressed in it fall squarely within the boundaries of legitimate speech, protected under international law.  The authorities should immediately drop the charges against Sultanyan and ensure that there is no undue interference in his legitimate human rights work.” 

Just as Pharaoh repressed Moses for trying to save the Israelite slaves, so too did Pashinyon repress Sultanyan for speaking up for the plight of his nation in Armenia.