ArmInfo. On February 21, on the occasion of the reburial ceremony of the hero of the French Resistance Movement Missak Manouchian and his wife M‚lin‚e in the French Pantheon, at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, a meeting was held between Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and co-chairs of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF) Murad Papzian and Ara Toranian.
This was reported by the press service of the ARF -Dashnaktsutyun party.
President Macron began the conversation by explaining the need for contacts between the Prime Minister of Armenia and representatives of the Armenian community in France, even if differences could separate them. President Macron highly appreciated the work done by Murad Papazian and Ara Toranian for Armenia. He emphasized their determination to defend Armenia and their ability to unite the Armenian community of France, the French government and all political players.
Following the remarks of French President, Murad Papazian welcomed this initiative. Addressing Nikol Pashinyan, the CCAF co-chair condemned the fact that he was denied entry into Armenia, which was eventually overturned by the Armenian judicial system. Murad Papazian criticized Nikol Pashinyan for making this deeply undemocratic and divisive decision. Murad Papazian pointed out his right to express disagreement with Nikol Pashinyan's policies within the framework of free and democratic debate. Nikol Pashinyan, clearly irritated by this lesson in democracy, became angry and criticized Murad Papazian for discussing this topic in the presence of the French President.
Murad Papazian recalled that the President of France is originated this initiative and, probably, the President of France is the only person who could organize this dialogue.
Even more angry at this response, Nikol Pashinyan said that he banned Murad Papazian from entering Armenia because he organized a demonstration against him in Paris on June 1, 2021. This, as noted in the ARF report, is an unfounded allegation repeatedly disseminated by the office of the Prime Minister of Armenia and has always been refuted by Murad Papazian. However, during that conversation, Nikol Pashinyan repeated this accusation, and Murad Papazian once again rejected it, at the same time being surprised that the Armenian special services did not present this accusation in court. Murad Papazian also clarified that the right to demonstrate is not prohibited in a democratic country. He expressed surprise at Nikol Pashinyan's weak argumentation and the poverty of his statements. At the end of the conversation, President Macron stepped aside from the Prime Minister of Armenia, after which Pashinyan informed Murad Papazian that the authorities would not appeal the decision to restore his right to return to Armenia.
On January 22, the Yerevan court ordered the National Security Service of Armenia to remove data on Murad Papazian and Masis Abrahamian from the database of foreigners considered undesirable on the territory of the Republic of Armenia. In July 2022, it became known that the co-chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), a member of the ARF- Dashnaktsuyun Bureau, Murad Papazian, was banned from entering Armenia.
On July 14, Papazian arrived in Armenia with his family, but he was denied entry at the Zvartnots airport on the grounds that he was included inthe list of undesirable persons.
As reported by the RA government, Papazian was prohibited from entering Armenia on the basis of Article 8 of the RA Law "On Foreigners". The reason for the ban, as reported in the press service of the head of government, was the fact that "Murad Papazian was one of the organizers of the attack on the motorcade of the delegation led by the Prime Minister on June 1, 2021 at the Armenian Embassy in France." "The protesters threw various items at the Prime Minister's motorcade, and the situation was overcome only as a result of the intervention of the French police and security forces," explained the press service of the RA Prime Minister. At the same time, Papazian announced his intention to restore his infringed rights through the court. And just two weeks later, on August 1 of the same year, it became known that Sune Abrahamian, a member of the Dutch ARF youth union, and Masis Abrahamyin, the chairman of "Hay Dat" of Holland, were declared persona non grata.
