You and me, I thought we had something special...

Bazaz, you will be sorely missed...

I'll never forget you...

(photo from Lragir.am)

There you are...

Some people had been wondering where Bazaz was recently, I know I have. How could I not? But he has reared his head... Below is some information that was circulating a few days ago, and here is an article from epress (Armenian, English):

Հունիսի 25-ի երեկոյան, ժամը 21:00-ի սահմաններում Հայ Ազգային Կոնգրեսի 4 երիտասարդ ակտիվիստների հանդիպումը Երևանի փոխոստիկանապետ Ռոբերտ Մելքոնյանի և Երևանի ոստիկանության Կենտրոնի բաժնի պետի տեղակալ Արայիկ Պետրոսյանի հետ ավարտվել է Կոնգրեսի անդամներին ոստիկանության բաժին բերման ենթարկելով: Որից հետո Կենտրոնի ոստիկանապետ Սարգիս Մարտիրոսյանը և նրա աշխատասենյակում գտնվող Երևանի փոխոստիկանապետ Ռոբերտ Մելքոնյանը Երևանի ՊՊԾ գնդի հրամանատար Վալիրի Օսիպովի և Կենտրոնի փոխոստիկանապետ Արայիկ Պետրոսյանի ներկայությամբ սպառնացել են Հայ ազգային կոնգրեսի ակտիվիստներին:

[from epress] According to a new audio recording that has appeared on YouTube, what sounds to be Yerevan Deputy Police Chief Robert Melkonyan and Kentron (“Center”) Police Chief Sargis Martirosyan are heard threatening detained Armenian National Congress (HAK) activists. In the clip (available only in Armenian), the senior police officials are heard issuing a warning to the young opposition activists regarding their activities ahead of Thursday’s rally.
Recall, at about 8:45 pm on Jun. 25, four youth HAK activists — Sargis Gevorgyan, Vahagn Gevorgyan, Sargis Khachatryan and David Kiramijyan — were picked up by police from the Pushkin–Mashtots intersection while they were distributing flyers announced the Jun. 30 rally and taken to central police division. They were subsequently released at around 9:25 pm.

Here's the video that was put up on youtube:

Bazaz. No Comment.

I had another post in mind, but then I saw this on facebook, a photoedit by German Avakyan. I couldn't resist.



[more from him at hermanavakian.com]

The Many Hats of Bazaz

I got very excited the other day when someone incorrectly informed me that among the demands presented at the March 1 demonstration was the resignation of Yerevan's Deputy Chief of Police Robert Melkonyan, also known as Bazaz. Suffice it to say that I found this extraordinary news, and was sad to confirm it wasn't true.

Here he is, the first time I've ever seen him actually have a discussion, defending the actions of the police at the most recent altercations with some of the Heritage Party MPs. I gotta say, he surprised me in this video. With all the pacing and yelling and pushing and screaming he does at what are often otherwise peaceful gatherings, and all the pacing back and forth that he does, he sure does do a good job of playing the other side with his calm, patient, even-toned and polite rationalizations and explanations.



I guess he wears many hats, both literally and figuratively. In fact, I almost didn't recognize him in the video above without a hat.
















Oh Bazaz, I hope you and your police department, but especially you, get the recognition you have earned so well, and deserve.

Soon it may be illegal to sit... at all, anywhere in Armenia

UPDATE: On May 29, Vardges Gaspari was taken into police custody (from RFE/RL, Arm. only). I have not yet seen any more information of his further detainment or release, though there were initial assurances by police that he would be released quickly.



With the completion of the underground parking lot under Liberty Square, the Square itself is now open, has been open, for a few days.
And on May 28, a small group of opposition activists, including Vardges Gaspari (known for his sit-ins) and Tigran Arakelyan (both former political prisoners), Vladimir Karapetyan of HAK and others of the HAK youth, chose to express their basic and supposedly 'protected' rights of freedom of speech, expression, and gathering.

But that is not protected in Armenia. And especially not in Liberty Square.

Just how scared must this regime be, that it seems within minutes not only police, but red berets, had swarmed around those sitting, and had starting not only arguing, but grabbing, pushing and shoving those seated and walking around. There are two videos that I've seen (a1plus and rfe/rl).

The number of police and red berets that are present is unbelievable. And the more people sit, the more the police and red berets become agitated, trying to remove them, and even trying to provoke the protesters, with grabbing, twisting and shoving. One segment shows a police officer repeatedly pushing Tigran Arakelyan, whose clearly visible hands are not even near the policeman. When they threaten to arrest Vardges Gaspari, he offers them his wrists - they clearly don't know what to do with that response, and later, he lays down, holding his protest sign to his chest. The police and red berets are unable to actually explain WHY they are trying to remove the protesters, unable to answer what law is being breached by having individuals sit on the ground, except for one time, when a red beret says "because it is an 'action' [political action or act]".

Vladimir Karapetyan points out to one of the police, that one month ago, we gathered, and there were no problems. We gathered, many people, and there was no problem. The policeman is completely confused, and says when? April 6, Karapetyan answers. Which of you [police] were here? Not a single one of you, because you were at home, with your families and children. And everything was normal, calm. Because there were no police. The response: a moment of a befuddled blank look, and then back to... You have to leave this area.... Back to playing the broken record they're ordered to... For those who don't remember, that's when FIDH was in Yerevan, and ended up joining the peaceful protest.

I watched the video, and wondered, where oh where is my Bazaz? I thought maybe he was trying to hide in the shadows, until I paid closer attention. Early in the a1plus segment, Vladimir Karapetyan gets shoved by someone, and then says "Mr. Melkonyan..." And, in fact, it is he, my Bazaz, stomping around like a rooster who has had too much coffee, ordering the removal of this person, shoving that person, yelling at this policeman, grabbing another protester... more stomping, and ordering of more backup ("Get ten people and come over"), and more stomping.

Bazaz, jan, no brown suit (that you were wearing that day), or black, or grey, or even pink, can mask your essence, can hold back your true feelings, so you may as well wear your army fatigues or police uniform. But, if you're going for a new look, may I suggest a pink silk shirt with white cuffs and collar, I hear it is all the rage in Yerevan these days.

Armenian police, especially Bazaz, have feelings, too!

It seems maybe I've been a bit too harsh on the Armenian police, and Bazaz (aka Robert Melkonyan). In a recent interview on RFE/RL (April 16, 2010, 15:00 broadcast, start at 9:30), Bazaz expressed the following - my rough transcription and translation:

"If a demonstration has been organized, it is my job to keep the public order, and the safety of the participants of the demonstration. When the demonstration is over, we will go observe our [Police] Day.

[Interviewer quotes Melkonyan] We are not what many people imagine us to be. We are people too, with human qualities.

For some reason, certain media try to, want to, constantly make the police out to be violent, boorish, illiterate, incompetent... But if you were to talk to us, you’d see that we have very good specialists, very professional police…

From a young age, they make the children scared of police. [garbled words]they say, I”ll tell the police, and they’ll punish you. For some reason, this type of attitude toward police starts to grow in people from a young age. We don’t know why. And naturally, police prohibit certain actions, which are not allowed.

I myself have been to other places – Denmark, Switzerland, Paris, France – I have seen how the police there disperse their demonstrators. We are very gentle, we are very humane.

It is a natural reaction, with regards to a government official. As a policeman or not, the president of our republic is our president, and I consider hurtful comments about the president to be inappropriate."

Many apologies for failing to empathize with you.
I can't imagine why anyone would think anything negative of the police in Armenia.