I can only be blamed for one thing: Because I have helped Nikol Pashinyan come to power. Former  National Assembly (NA) of Armenia President Ara Babloyan on Wednesday stated this at a press conference, and commenting on the Special Investigation Service (SIS) decision to include him as a suspect in an ongoing criminal investigation.

“An investigation is underway, and I have no right to speak about anything,” he said. “I have done everything in accordance with the law and the Constitution. I can only be accused of one thing that I’ve promoted that [Prime Minister] Nikol Pashinyan has come to power.”

Former NA Speaker Ara Babloyan has been included as a suspect in the SIS investigation within the framework of the criminal case under Section 1 of Article 300 of the RA Criminal Code—and on the grounds of usurpation of power.

According to the SIS report, Arsen Babayan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the National Assembly, accused of the same case, created false grounds for submitting Ara Babloyan's resignation on March 2, 2018, to the NA Speaker Gagik Harutyunyan's resignation request. In turn, it was the basis for the latter's termination of office, and later for the process of nominating and appointing Hrayr Tovmasyan in that vacant post.

According to the SIS report, then NA deputy chief of staff Arsen Babayan—who is an accused in the aforesaid case—had created false grounds for publication of the statement—signed on March 2, 2018—of the then NA President Ara Babloyan on the resignation of the then Constitutional Court President Gagik Harutyunyan, and which in turn served as the basis for Harutyunyan’s termination of office, and later for the process of nominating and appointing Hrayr Tovmasyan to that vacant post.