If there is such a practice in Armenia where people are prosecuted for opinions expressed on social media, then caution and vigilance must be exercised. Nacho Sanchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), on Tuesday stated this during the 12th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Eastern Partnership (Euronest) being held in Armenia’s National Assembly.

In democratic countries, people should not be persecuted for their posts on social media. If Armenia considers itself a candidate for European Union membership, it must be attentive to such issues, Amor noted.

He stated that Armenia still retains a large Soviet legacy in its legal system, which can be summed up as follows: “First, we send the person to prison, and then we see what happens.”

The MEP added, however, that Armenia’s Ministry of Justice is actively working to overcome that legacy.