"Former authorities want to say we’re just as much thieves as they were" – Pashinyan
False allegations of Pashinyan buying villa in Marseille
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has addressed rumours claiming he purchased a luxury mansion in the French city of Marseille. He commented on the matter after Armenia’s Fact-Checking Platform had already debunked the claim.
“‘The Prime Minister bought a house in France for 3 million euros…’ There are a couple of Dashnaks in France who create a website for three euros and publish whatever nonsense they like. And then you’re left trying to prove anything at all,” Pashinyan said during a government meeting.
According to him, Armenia’s former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan have chosen not to defend themselves or prove that “they’re not thieves, scoundrels, crooks, and bribe-takers,” but rather to create the impression that “the current authorities are just like them.” The Prime Minister believes the rumours about the villa stem from an intensifying process of reclaiming illegally acquired property for the state.
At today’s cabinet meeting, the government discussed property returned to the state “in the interests of local communities.” Pashinyan stated that one of the recovered assets had belonged to the wife of former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. His remarks sparked a heated debate over the issue of “returning what was stolen.”
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Claims about Pashinyan purchasing villa in Marseille proven false
In recent days, social media and several Armenian media outlets circulated claims that Nikol Pashinyan had allegedly bought a “luxury villa” in Marseille for €3.1 million. A French-language article appeared on the website infofrancaisedujour.fr, alleging that funds from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Coordination Council of Armenian Organisations of France (CCAF) may have been used for Pashinyan’s personal benefit. The piece also speculated that Marseille’s mayor, Benoît Payan, might have “contributed” to the purchase.
Armenia’s Fact-Checking Platform reviewed the content and concluded that the article was based on baseless assumptions and was not factual:
“The website operating at IP address 192.250.229.162 belongs to the provider Psychz Networks, located in the United States. So, it’s a ‘French’ site with a French domain… hosted in the US. […] Moreover, the site was created temporarily [its certificate is valid for 90 days]. And its provider is an internet company whose reputation is considered questionable by professional platforms.”
“Piece by piece, it will all return to budget”
Prime Minister Pashinyan pledged that his government will continue to “reclaim what was stolen, piece by piece,” and that no one will be able to escape accountability:
“They won’t get away with it. As I’ve said before, no one will escape. They can’t anymore — that’s why they’re convulsing and screaming across the country.”
The Prime Minister admitted that his government’s respectful approach to former presidents had been a mistake:
“For example, we never officially declared that Robert Kocharyan is a bribe-taker. But that is established by a court ruling. He himself, in the bribery case, requested the application of the statute of limitations [which means he didn’t deny the fact itself].”
Pashinyan stated that from now on, in all his public remarks, he will refer to Robert Kocharyan as a bribe-taker — explaining that this label is justified by the findings of the judicial system.
“We will call things by their name”
At a cabinet meeting, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan listed properties and land unlawfully seized in the past that have now been returned to the state. Among them were a land plot in the village of Orgov in Aragatsotn Province, a stadium in Martuni, and kindergartens in Ijevan and Dilijan.
The Prime Minister noted that he had previously spoken about the return of a kindergarten to the Dilijan community but had refrained from mentioning the former official’s family connected to the case. Now, however, he has decided to state publicly that it concerns the wife of former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.
“Our tact has been interpreted in different ways. That’s why from now on, I will always specify who is involved in each case of confiscated illegal property. We will not only call things by their names but also name the people associated with them — to avoid any ambiguity,” Pashinyan said.
Wife of former foreign minister returns property worth over $200,000 to state
Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan confirmed that the kindergarten building in Dilijan belonged to a charitable foundation headed by Nane Oskanian.
She also stated that the property in question covers an area of 891.1 square metres. Its cadastral value is 85,935,000 drams (approximately $224,960). The property was returned to the city of Dilijan as part of criminal proceedings through a settlement agreement.
“The kindergarten had not been renovated for 19 years. Renovation work will begin soon. As a result of its closure, 120 children have been unable to access preschool education each year,” she said.
