PARIS — On July 13, Mourad Papazian landed in Yerevan on an Air France plane to go to a quarterly meeting of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF – Dashnaktsutiun/Tashnagtsutiun), of which he is a leader in France. As soon as he arrived on Armenian soil, the co-president of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) CCAF was arrested by the police and sent back on July 14 (the French national holiday) on an Air France plane to Paris.
Papazian does not really explain this action by the Armenian authorities. He evokes his “democratic right to criticize Pashinyan’s action,” in particular the “rapprochement between Yerevan and Ankara.” But also he notes it is an “operation to weaken the CCAF.”
Papazian is waiting for Yerevan to provide him with the clear explanations that led to his banning from Armenian soil. Could there be a cause and effect here: In June 2021, the ARF in France, led by Papazian, organized an attack on the vehicles accompanying Prime Minister Pashinyan during his visit to France.
Below Papazian delivers his feelings following his deportation outside the Armenian borders.
“Arrived yesterday in Yerevan, I learned that I was banned from staying in Armenia.
