Should we support anyone who joins popular movement?

The answer is big NO. Like in case of other major popular movements, there are not infrequent cases when leader seeks support from people with questionable reputation, to say the least, or when crowd cheers anyone who joins the movement.

I have to agree with Aravot daily’s editor Aram Abrahamyan in this instance:

“Aravot” takes a critical look at some of Levon Ter-Petrosian’s allies, notably the former chief military prosecutor Gagik Jahangirian. “Now that that the former military prosecutor Gagik Jahangirian has joined the opposition they are urging us to forget the fact that his investigators tortured soldiers, that he is the one who botched the investigation into the October 27 case [of the parliament shootings.] We are told to keep silent about that because Mr. Jahangirian is now participating in the break-up of the ‘kleptocratic pyramid.’ But wasn’t he an integral part and loyal servant of that pyramid for ten years?”

The same applies to general Manvel, for instance, as Aravot editor rightly points out too. When I wrote about his alleged support for popular movement, it’s not his persona or his high-rank military position I was happy about but the fact that they reportedly stated that the army will be kept away "from interfering with politics and being used against people".

As to currently arrested former military prosecutor Jahangiryan, as MP from opposition Heritage party Zara Postanjyan says, no one forgets that his name is associated with cases of human rights abuses, especially in military (which MP investigated). However, right now he has been arrested not for that allegation, but purely for political reasons, for his support to first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and opposition movement. Therefore, in this case I will support him and will demand his release.

I have to say big NO to detentions of people for political motives, which effectively makes them political prisoners, regardless of their questionable reputation.