On the night of July 13-14, 2022, Murad Papazyan, the chairman of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France and a member of the ARF Bureau, arrived in Armenia with his family. At Zvartnots Airport, without any additional explanation, he was told that he could not enter Armenia. After being held at the airport for a day, the Papazyans were sent back to France.
It turned out that his entry into the Republic of Armenia was prohibited, and he was recognized as an "undesirable person." Later, Nikol Pashinyan's office stated: "This individual is one of those who organized the attack on June 1 of the previous year in France against the motorcade carrying the state flag of the Republic of Armenia, which was headed by the Prime Minister's governmental delegation near the Armenian Embassy. Various objects and items were thrown in the direction of the motorcade. The Prime Minister's vehicle carrying the state flag of the Republic of Armenia was attacked, and the created situation was overcome only through the efforts of the French police and security forces."
Papazyan's representative, Artsvik Minasyan, demanded that the NSS remove his name from the list of "undesirable persons," but this demand was not met. After some time, Murad Papazyan filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia against the National Security Service, demanding that the court obligate the NSS to remove Papazyan's data from the database of undesirable foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
In court, Papazyan's interests are defended by lawyer Siranush Sahakyan. The preliminary court hearing in this case took place in August 2023, but in October, Murad Papazyan and his defenders were informed that the judge hearing the case, Mher Petrosyan, had been replaced by another judge, and a new preliminary court hearing would be held. The case was assigned to Judge Ruzanna Azroyan.
At the closed-door hearing on November 23, the National Security Service did not present to the court the grounds for considering the ARF figure an undesirable person, deeming them highly confidential information. After the hearing, Siranush Sahakyan informed journalists that courts do not have equal access to information constituting state secrets; there are judges who can access even top-secret information. "Due to this circumstance, the case was reassigned to a judge who is authorized to access top-secret information," she said, adding that the National Security Service had not presented the evidence to the court, and therefore, the court hearing was postponed.
According to Sahakyan, the legal grounds of the case are weak, and gaining time in this way could also be a tactical consideration. "But I positively assess that the judges consistently try to carry out substantive judicial oversight and demand that evidence, by evaluating which, we will be able to establish the truth," she added.
Referring to the statement issued by the Prime Minister's office, Siranush Sahakyan said that there is no evidence substantiating Murad Papazyan's personal involvement in that incident. "The fact that the Prime Minister's office has provided such explanations shows the element of political persecution. Even if we theoretically assume that such an attack took place, this falls within the context of political rights. You know that in the case of shocking developments for the public, the public can also be excessive in its political actions. And we have seen numerous incidents where vegetables and eggs have been thrown at leaders or their cars. These are considered political actions, which, as a rule, are not followed by the application of sanctions. According to French law, the participants in this attack did not face administrative or criminal liability, meaning that this action fell within the scope of the right to freedom of assembly protected in France," the lawyer said.
Sahakyan expressed hope that the courts would fully carry out their mission, it would be possible to protect the interests of Diaspora Armenians through the judicial system of the Republic of Armenia, "and we will not have to reach the European Court of Human Rights for the restoration of rights. That would be undesirable and shameful, because first, facts related to the NSS will be recorded, and maintaining the name, reputation, and trust of that service, I think, is important for each of us. Second, if these anti-democratic tendencies are recorded by an international judicial act, they become accessible to a large number of individuals and societies, who will learn about the developments taking place in Armenia," Sahakyan added.
She also noted that Papazyan has not given in and continues his pro-Armenian activities in European communities. "We must take the path of consolidation and use the potential of the Diaspora to solve external problems. I assess this division as anti-state," the lawyer emphasized.
At an urgent hearing convened on January 22, 2024, the Administrative Court of Armenia satisfied the lawsuits of Murad Papazyan, as well as Masis Abrahamyan, the representative of the Armenian Cause Office of the ARF in the Netherlands, against the NSS of the Republic of Armenia. The court obliged the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia to remove the data of Murad Papazyan and Masis Abrahamyan from the database of undesirable foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.