During a press conference at Yerevan City Hall on April 16th, Armen Begoyan, the Mayor’s Advisor on Education and Cultural Heritage, addressed speculation about his comments on Hayk Marutyan’s critical Facebook post regarding the Yerevan Municipality’s “Preservation and Development of the Capital and Adjacent Areas” HOAK board. Begoyan stated that employees have the right to express their thoughts in writing, including criticism, but they should also be aware that disciplinary measures may be necessary depending on their response. When asked about the specific actions of the employee in question, Begoyan mentioned a recent meeting of the City Council of National Accord and clarified that his intention was not to criticize the city’s government but rather to address concerns about the introduction of ideology through social networks amongst colleagues. He plans to clarify and mention the employee’s response to this matter.

In a final statement, the employee explained that it is part of his job to express his position on city government proclamations. He mentioned Pedro Zarokyan, a member of the National Accord, who referred to him as “this provocateur” and shared his picture on social media. The employee also criticized Hayk Marutyan’s comments on events in Tumanyan Street, which he believes were incorrectly interpreted as the basis for Marutyan’s proclamation. The employee clarified that his response was directed towards the organization’s leadership and colleagues who made allegations against him, rather than the city government’s announcement. In response to this situation, Begoyan stated that he will study and clarify the employee’s response and, if necessary, apply disciplinary measures. He also questioned why the employee’s brother is consistently involved in the organization’s ideological and organizational work if there is a problem.