Dear Alik, that is NOT an apology - just stop talking and resign.

Alik Sargsyan, head of the Police of Armenia, is reportedly apologizing - multiple news sources have headline stating that he is apologizing, with regards to the Khalafyan case. But what is he apologizing for?

Once I actually read the texts, I saw no condolences offered. No apology for the beating, torture, death and murder of a young man at the hands of his department. No promise to investigate how such a thing could have happened, or maybe to see if it may have happened before. No talk of how to prevent such things in the future.

What I did see was an apology for spreading disinformation. And promises to punish without pity those who gave him the disinformation. Promises to punish those directly responsible for the violence.

Sorry, but that doesn't cut it, Alik. Where is the apology for the murder of a young man? Where is the apology for fostering an environment that allows and likely encourages such behavior? Where is the apology for just plain out being wrong, if its actually true that you did not know from the very beginning.

That is your department, Alik. You are responsible for knowing what happens, for the environment you foster, for fully researching your facts before you make statements.

Promising punishment, boundless punishment, is just hitting back and passing the buck. It is a perpetuation of violence, not logic or law or justice. Promising punishment to subordinates means those subordinates will pass that on to their own subordinates, and so it goes down the lines. And who gets it in the end? Well, whoever is at the end of the receiving line. And who is that for police? Well, citizens, that's who. And that's probably how we ended up with police killing a common citizen in the first place, not to mention innumerable instances of police beating protesters (including women and the elderly), and March 1.

Alik, you just keep saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, over and over. Open mouth insert foot, again and again.

My suggestion? Stop talking. Just resign.

What a great invitation...

One of Pashinyan's most recent pieces is an open invitation to Armenia's Ombudsman to come visit him in the Nubarashen Penitentiary for a discussion. The piece, not surprisingly, is full of wit, satire, and irony. But mostly an incredible wit.

The only further comment I will make is for clarification purposes. "Dollar Armen" is the well known nickname of Armen Harutyunyan, who is the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Armenia. Comments and references which bring this into question directly or indirectly in Pashinyan's article are stylistic or for effect, not true questioning. Interestingly enough, until a friend clarified for me, I thought he had earned the nickname due to what some have observed - the progressive increase in quality and presumed price of his suits since after March, 2008. So, in my eyes, at least as reliable as such observations and information are, he's earned the nickname twice, if not thrice. Since, as an Ombudsman, while he has made some moderately strong comments here or there, he's left more unsaid, than said.

And now, without further ado...

Let me see, Now
I wasn’t there, but the brother-in-law of my friend’s nephew, who is the mechanic of one of the carousels located at Monument, once heard a visitor at the carousel recounting to another: during an interview on Shant TV, Nver Mnatsakanyan asked RA Human Rights defender Armen Harutyunyan if there were political prisoners in Armenia. Human rights defender Armen Harutyunyan replied, in an arrogant tone, that of course there were not. This information is supported by another source— by the husband of the aunt of my other friend’s brother-in-law. That means that Armen Harutyunyan really made the statement. So now, when the ombudsman has assumed the responsibility of declaring that there are no political prisoners in Armenia, I find myself asking: Then who am I? Why am I in the “Nubarashen” penitentiary? And then sometimes, when I think about the ombudsman’s statement, I can’t help but wonder: Is it possible that I am a criminal or a swindler? Is it possible that I was once a lecturer and accepted bribes from my students to give them a good grade; and, because I didn’t trust the local currency I accepted bribes in Dollars only, which is why students dubbed me Dollar Armen? Try as I have, I can’t recall that kind of episode in my life, and as far as I remember, Dollar Armen refers to an entirely different person. I wonder where the person known as Dollar Armen is nowadays. Could he be in the cell next to mine? But as far as I was able to determine, there is no such person as Dollar Armen either in the cell next to mine, or in the one facing me or, for that matter, in any other cell, although many here would not mind it if Dollar Armen shows up in their cells, as a prisoner. They say they want to talk to him. But until such time as justice in Armenia reaches Dollar, let’s not digress from our theme. Our theme is human rights defender Armen Harutyunyan’s declaration that there are no political prisoners in Armenia. If Armen Harutyunyan is so convinced that there are no political prisoners in Armenia, then I invite him to meet with me at the “Nubarashen” penitentiary and explain my verdict to me; to enlighten me on the crime I have committed for which I am now in the Nubarashen penitentiary almost as a convict. I will pose only legal questions concerning my verdict, my legal case, the understanding of a political prisoner. But there is one condition: I have no time for pointless drivel and my talk with Armen Harutyunyan, the question and answer session between us would have to be recorded. The human rights defender should agree to the conditions and make sure that the recording will indeed take place. Then, our discussion should appear in the newspapers and the actual recording would be posted on the internet. If he agrees to these conditions then I would really invite him to such an important discussion. Oh, before I forget, I am busy today and tomorrow. So the earliest I can receive the human rights defender is Friday afternoon. In the meantime, I would like to ask those who have information about Dollar Armen to leave a message on my website www.armtimes.com or to send the information to the following address: Office of the Human Rights Defender, 56a Pushkin St., Yerevan. I think the RA human rights defender will offer a generous reward to all those who will help him reveal the identity of Dollar Armen.

NIKOL PASHINYAN

Some basic arithmetic might help

A week or two ago there was an HAK statement regarding the 180 degree turn police took while the FIDH conference was going on. In an attempt to make the police and authorities of Armenia appear to have a developed sense of Human Rights and Democracy, the demonstration and march had a minimal police presence, with no provocations or violent actions. But what it really highlighted boils down to simple arithmetic (maybe some basic algebra is involved):

(1) Police + demonstrators = demonstration + altercations/violence
(as 2 years of demonstrations have shown us)

(2) Demonstrators = demonstration + (- altercations/violence)
(quantity negative/lack of altercations and violence)

If we do the subtraction, we are left with

(3) Police = altercations/violence

But is this really the case? Is this mathematical finding true? Let’s add some recent and past events. I won’t list them, but just a quick stroll through any of the papers or blogs, or Human Rights reports for that matter, shows what seem to be endless lists of police and red berets beating, punching (with brass knuckles at times), pushing, kidnapping, and opening fire on demonstrators. In addition to Levon Gulyan’s apparently curious and accidental death while in police custody, now there is the case of Vahan Khalafyan, who somehow obtained bruises and knife marks on his body and two (assumed) fatal stab wounds to his belly, also while in police custody. His friends were luckier, and were only beaten and threatened with sexual assault. Now, Police Chief Alik Sargsyan said right away that this was suicide, and that there was absolutely no torture involved (how he knew so quickly is unclear). As Alik Sargsyan pointed out, why would you torture someone if they have already confessed (see hnazarian). But just yesterday a policeman was arrested for possibly forcing him to commit suicide (which is just nauseating – see unzipped). Police presence alone is associated with violence. Now, the police themselves don’t understand why anyone would have this impression, as Bazaz so kindly pointed out (see my last post).

So independently of the equations above, we arrive at:

(4) Police=Altercations/Violence

We could even add on a little here. As HAK pointed out, the police are basically the minions of the oligarchs and authorities. And what do the bosses of the police do when left to their own? The same thing. Take last weekend – two gangs basically had a shoot-out. But they weren’t just any gangs, they were actually members of two different political parties. And according to at least one source, it seems at least one high up government official was there too, though it is being denied. And this most recent skirmish was not the only one. So, as the police are actors of the authorities, it makes sense that:

(5) Authorities=Altercations/Violence

And in the end it all fits together. Whether we subtract out equation (2) from equation (1) and get (3), or look at (4) and (5) which were arrived at independently with independent data, we arrive at the same conclusion. It is the police presence, the actors of the authorities, which bring violence. Not the demonstrators, not the
marches.

Not that we didn’t all know this already. The manipulative and violent tactics of the current regime, as well as the desperate measures it is willing to take to buy time while they are in their current quagmire. Unfortunately, it is Human Rights and Democracy in Armenia, and most importantly, the people of Armenia , who have paid the price thus far.

And many in the West who purport to stand for Human Rights and Democracy, used this to their own political ends, and supported and trusted Sargsyan. But now they know the truth firsthand. The top story on rfe/rl today is "Armenia Stall Turkey Deal."

I wonder what comes next…

N.B. But, according to Oskanyan, the main problems in Armenia are the economic and political monopolies. Not lack of Human Rights, Police Violence, or any of that. Wow. At least mention it in there, somewhere, Mr. Oskanyan.

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.

On self-restraint, sitting on concrete, and lay-ins

While the FIDH conference was happening, the police tried to behave themselves. They managed to do so on the first day, though they didn't do as well on the second. I imagine folks like Bazaz were bursting at the seams to just go beat up someone, or at least something. But, for those two days, or at least the first one, he just wasn't around. Which may be the only way someone like him can resist abusing and attacking peaceful protesters, by just not being around them.

Soon after, Pashinyan's appeal regarding the January Parliamentary seat election went back to court. Of course, he wasn't allowed to be there - that would just be a crazy idea. Pashinyan's supporters were outside, and it seems the police who were there were probably using one of their new "techniques" to keep the peace: they kept repeating that they were trying to keep things calm, and didn't want disruptions, and wanted people to move onto the sidewalk. Sounds good, right? Except that they weren't making any disturbance, and were ALREADY on the sidewalk.

For those who watch the web videos, the face and voice of former political prisoner Vardges Gaspari has become quite familiar. He is quite impassioned, and can often be seen chanting even when others have stopped. And I remember at least one occasion where he staged his own lay-in - he just lay right down on the ground amongst the protesters, refusing to move. And this is just what he did outside of Pashinyan's case just last week, with a huge picture of Pashinyan draped on top of him, refusing to move.

I think that, for many reasons, people just have no idea what to do with this. Sitting, much less laying, on the street in Armenian culture is very, very, odd - its just not done. Next time you are in Armenia, sit on the pavement -people will walk past you and just look at you like you're absolutely crazy. And having a man, especially an older man, laying on the street makes many, as can be seen in the videos, very uncomfortable, apart from what he is yelling and why he is doing it.

The police are in an even tougher spot when he does this. Because they too feel uncomfortable with the site, but they also know they're supposed to do something about it. But what? What do you do with someone lying down on the ground?

And that is exactly the point. Sit-ins, or lay-ins, are a great way to make life peacefully difficult for those who want to harass or beat you. It is civil disobedience at its best.

[photo from Aravot]

Prison Diary: Flowers from Shirin Ebadi Բանտային օրագիր. Ծաղիկներ Շիրին Էբադիից

The latest entry in Pashinyan's Prison Diary is below.
I will say only that I hope Shirin Ebadi gets to read this piece.
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Prison Diary: Flowers from Shirin Ebadi
Dedicated to the memory of Gayane Babayan

The television set in our cell at the Nubarashen penitentiary has recently gained a very serious competitor. During the day we look at the competitor more than we watch the television screen. It is a bouquet of red and yellow tulips that has added an unbelievable hue to our cell. When the bouquet appeared in our cell, my cellmates and I tried to remember when it was that we had last seen fresh flowers. We realized that it was a very long ago; and then we realized that we had needed these flowers in our cells to attain “total bliss”. And now we try to prolong that happiness as much as possible; we do not spare sugar and before our morning coffee we offer it to them first. I received that bouquet of flowers the day before from Nobel Prize recipient, human rights defender and Iranian citizen Shirin Ebadi in the meeting room of the Nubarashen penitentiary.

The human rights defender had brought flowers to all the political prisoners whom she visited that day. And you should have seen that scene. Accompanied by the prison guard, the prisoner (in this case, me), with a bouquet of flowers in his hands, walked down the prison corridors under the apprehensive gazes of the other prisoners. It was evident from their gaze that this was the first time they were witnessing such a scene. Confusion persisted in their gaze even after they recognized me; they understood that an important event had taken place.

That happening was indeed important. For the first time in history of the penitentiary, a Nobel Prize recipient had visited it. At first, when I saw the flowers in Shirin Ebadi’s hands, I felt proud of my country, my fatherland. I thought that the penitentiary had welcomed the Nobel Prize recipient, world-known human rights defender Shirin Ebadi, with a bouquet of flowers. But I was to be disappointed. On the day dedicated to Motherhood and Beauty, the female human rights defender herself had brought flowers to a prisoner whom she considers a political prisoner and a kindred spirit. At the beginning of our meeting Shirin Ebadi told me she was sorry she was meeting me in prison. I told her that it was worth being in prison if that meant getting such a bouquet of flowers.

I can’t predict how long the red and yellow tulips will survive under prison conditions. But I want to believe that this will be the last visit the Nobel prize recipient will pay to Armenian prisons. I believe that the name Armenia will become synonymous with Freedom, the Defense of Human Rights, Lawfulness and Democracy. I believe that my and my friends’ presence in prison today symbolizes our fidelity to a Free and Independent Armenia. I believe that our children will live in a Free and Blissful Armenia.

NIKOL PASHINYAN
Political Prisoner
From Nubarashen Penitentiary
--------
Բանտային օրագիր. Ծաղիկներ Շիրին Էբադիից
Նվիրում եմ Գայանե Բաբայանի հիշատակին

«Նուբարաշեն» քրեակատարողական հիմնարկի մեր խցի հեռուստացույցը վերջին օրերին լրջագույն մրցակից է ձեռք բերել: Օրվա ընթացքում մենք ավելի շատ նրան ենք նայում, քան հեռուստացույցի էկրանին: Կարմրադեղին վարդակակաչների փունջն է դա, որ անհավանական երանգ է տվել բանտային մեր խցին: Երբ այդ ծաղկեփունջը հայտնվեց խցում, խցակիցներով սկսեցինք քննարկել, թե վերջին անգամ երբ ենք կենդանի ծաղիկ տեսել. պարզվեց բավական վաղուց, պարզվեց նաեւ, որ հենց այդ ծաղիկներն էին մեր խցին պակասում` «կատարյալ երջանկության համար»: Ու հիմա ջանում ենք հնարավորինս երկարացնել այդ երջանկությունը. շաքարավազը չենք խնայում, ու առավոտյան սուրճից առաջ նախ նրանց ենք հյուրասիրում: Այդ ծաղկեփունջը նախօրեին Նոբելյան մրցանակի դափնեկիր, իրավապաշտպան, Իրանի քաղաքացի Շիրին Էբադիից եմ ստացել` «Նուբարաշեն» քրեակատարողական հիմնարկի տեսակցությունների սենյակում: Իրավապաշտպանը ծաղիկներ էր տարել բոլոր այն քաղբանտարկյալներին, ում այցելել էր այդ օրը: Եւ պետք էր տեսնել այդ տեսարանը. կալանավորը (տվյալ դեպքում ես) վարդակակաչի փունջը ձեռքին վերակացուի ուղեկցությամբ քայլում է քրեակատարողական հիմնարկի միջանցքներով` բազմաթիվ այլ կալանավորների մտահոգված հայացքների ներքո: Նրանց հայացքներից ակնհայտ էր դառնում, որ առաջին անգամ են նման պատկերի ականատես լինում: Նույնիսկ երբ ճանաչում էին ինձ, տարակուսանքը նրանց հայացքում չէր վերանում, չնայած` հասկանում էին, որ, ուրեմն, ինչ-որ կարեւոր իրադարձություն է տեղի ունեցել: Իսկ իրադարձությունը իսկապես կարեւոր էր. պատմության մեջ առաջին անգամ Նոբելյան մրցանակի դափնեկիր էր այցելել քրեակատարողական հիմնարկ: Սկզբում, երբ միջանցքում-հեռվից Շիրին Էբադիի ձեռքին ծաղիկներ տեսա` մեջս հպարտություն խաղաց երկրիս, հայրենիքիս համար: Ինձ թվաց, թե քրեակատարողական հիմնարկը ծաղիկներով է դիմավորել Նոբելյան մրցանակի դափնեկիր, աշխարհահռչակ իրավապաշտպան Շիրին Էբադիին: Բայց ինձ հիասթափություն էր սպասում. Մայրության եւ գեղեցկության օրը կին իրավապաշտպանը ինքն էր ծաղիկներ բերել մի կալանավորի համար, որին քաղբանտարկյալ ու համախոհ է համարում: Մեր հանդիպման սկզբում Շիրին Էբադին ասաց, թե ցավում է, որ ինձ հետ բանտում է հանդիպում: Ես էլ ասացի, որ հանուն նման ծաղկեփունջ ստանալու արժեր բանտում հայտնվել: Չեմ կարող կանխատեսել, թե կարմրադեղին վարդակակաչները որքան կդիմանան բանտային ռեժիմին: Բայց ուզում եմ հավատալ, որ սա Նոբելյան մրցանակի դափնեկրի վերջին այցն է հայաստանյան բանտեր: Հավատում եմ, որ Հայաստան անունը դառնալու է Ազատության, Մարդու իրավունքների պաշտպանվածության, Օրինականության, Ժողովրդավարության հոմանիշ: Հավատում եմ, որ իմ ընկերների եւ իմ բանտում գտնվելն այսօր` Ազատ եւ Երջանիկ Հայաստանին մեր հավատարմությունն է խորհրդանշում: Հավատում եմ, որ մեր երեխաները ապրելու են Ազատ եւ Երջանիկ Հայաստանում:

ՆԻԿՈԼ ՓԱՇԻՆՅԱՆ
քաղբանտարկյալ
«Նուբարաշեն» ՔԿՀ-ից
www.nikol.am

Նիկոլ Փաշինյան -

Ապրիլ 9, 2010

Update on Ashot Manukyan -or- Its Time for the Regime to Go

I received the update below regarding the status of political prisoner Ashot Manukyan. I have posted it verbatim (except for the attached links, whose format I changed), with my comments below.

----------
Ashot Manukyan, still imprisoned for fighting against the hijacking of Armenia, has won a slight battle today. The Court of Cassation (Constitutional court) has found that one of the laws the prosecution had used is unlawful. They remanded the case to the Supreme Court. Mr. Manukyan has been in jail for 2 years already.

There is a current initiative that should be passed only with the commitment of the Armenia lobby to push for an end to this regime (or at least its practices). The Dept of Defense should not open Armenia as a procurement option for Afghan operations (see the proposed amendment to the DFARs). This money will only be stolen.

Unfortunately, there has been no help from the Diaspora lobby. Case in point, at the Policy Forum Armenia seminar held at Georgetown last month, leaders and academics joined to discuss the possibilities of Diaspora-Hayastan relations. Each speaker had well-thought ideas, but NONE dared mention the elephant in the room: the absolute corruption of the present Oligarchy and the uselessness of moving forward without a serious regime change. audio link

Here is an article that proceeded the decision today:

The political prisoner Ashot Manukyan challenged the constitutionality of Article 309.1 of the RA Criminal Code at the Constitutional Court, which allows prosecutors to take back the accusation from the Court, make it more severe, and then resubmit it.
62 year old painter Ashot Manukyan is sentenced to six years imprisonment for his involvement in the events of March 1, 2008. This past Tuesday, the CC was scheduled to consider the appeal by Manukyan and make a decision. At the conclusion of two hours of discussions, the members of the CC decided to restart the deliberation of the appeal. The reason for this was that CC President Gagik Harutyunyan was absent, and the other 8 members of the CC were unable to reach a decision without him. This means that the CC decision, and therefore whether the political prisoner is freed or not, depends on Gagik Harutyunyan.

article link
----------------------------------------

This may have some potential to be some progress in the case, a small step forward maybe, but if this step is at all consistent with this regime's actions to date, it will be circular and unethical - any steps made will be for show. I would absolutely love for this regime to prove me wrong, and free Mr Manukyan as well as all of the political prisoners... but even that would be just a start to the change that is needed. But it would be an important start.

And of course, I love the idea that Diasporan organizations would organize and pressure the US and other western governments with the goal of supporting Armenia, a real, free and independent Armenia. But that is almost less likely than Sargsyan switching places with Mr Manukyan, himself. Again, though, I'd love to be proven wrong on this one.

I must say, however, that while I was not at the PFA meeting and have not yet had a chance to read what is available from the meeting (so my commentary on the meeting is limited), PFA is one of the only armenian organizations based outside of Armenia that has been critical of this regime, and has published informed, analytic pieces that challenge so many aspects of the criminal regime that has taken Armenia hostage. In contrast, well established organizations, the AAA, ANCA, church, AGBU and the rest of such groups have kept quiet, if not openly supported the regime, or some aspect of it.

All in all, what is this regime showing by putting a 62 year old man, a painter, in prison for his politics? The same thing it shows when it beats children, abuses women, and shoots at its own people- and more recently sells out not only its present, but past and future to save its own behind- it has to go.

Poor choice of words... or tactics, maybe?

Two countries have strained diplomatic relations, and the strain gets worse and worse – while unfortunate, it wouldn’t be surprising that one of them takes it out on immigrants from the other country…

For example, let’s say France and Albania, or England and Russia, or Italy and Zaire, develop strained relations; it wouldn’t be surprising that the former of the countries put pressure on the latter. The United States, during WWII, placed thousands, actually, over one hundred thousand individuals of Japanese descent, in internment camps, purportedly for their own safety. Really, they were under lock and key out of fear, discrimination, and ignorance. If I remember my history correctly, over half of them were actual legal citizens, many of them were U.S. born, and a minority, if any, were illegal (if someone has any info on this, please feel free to add it in the comments).

But, really, Erdogan’s statements are a tad ridiculous. This is what it comes down to: present day Turkey is upset that there is pressure regarding Genocide recognition, a genocide which involved mass killings, rape, murder of women and children, and… deportation. And so, some countries and political entities start threatening to recognize, or recognize (with apologies might I add), the Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey… And what does Turkey do? Threaten to deport Armenians! … Who in their government decided this was good diplomacy, or even, made any good sense?

The news reports and translations are that the words used in Turkish are “deportation” of Armenians, and that to date, Turkey has been “tolerating” Armenians. Isn’t there a better way to say that as a government, they will be more stringent regarding the legality and leniency of illegal immigrant from Armenia?

I will look more into the original language and translation – but if anyone sees them, or knows Turkish and reads the original statements, I would appreciate if you share what you have read, especially regarding whether these are the terms really being used by the government of Turkey.

Come on, … Tolerate? ... Deportation?...

Some interesting articles...

A couple of interesting articles popped up, so i thought i'd mention them:

The first two related to my commentary on the previous blog post:

Pluralism Armenia style: Ruling coalition denies major rift as its members row (from ArmeniaNow)

Armenia’s Political Situation Might Be Favorable For Ex-President’s Return To Big Politics (HyeMedia from ArmeniaNow)

And for the record, I would like to make this article easily accessible, some of us may want to find it in the future:

2008 Elections were Falsified, Extraordinary Elections Could be Too: Armenian Revolutionary Federation MP

The last one is from Zaman via Hetq:

Commentary: The Armenian Genocide and Disgrace written by Etyen Macupyan, who is a columnist at Today’s Zaman and an editor at Agos. An article with great depth, and breadth - as far as i'm concerned, anyone uttering the terms Genocide and/or Recognition, should read this article. Even if you don't agree, you should know WHY you don't agree.

Hopefully every Flow will have an Ebb, and Kocharyan will go with that Ebb

Just the other day, Oskanyan (of the Kocharyan and previously the LTP governments, and now of Civilitas fame) gave an interview to A1plus and Capital papers, the a1plus video is available online, as are articles written about it (lragir tert).
A1plus then went to HHK Chair Razmik Zohrabyan, and asked him what he had to say about Oskanyan's interview (article has video). I dont know if a1plus knew what to expect, but both interviews have some great segments, and the combination is outstanding. I'll try to keep it to the true gems, but there's lots in there to work with.

Let's start with Oskanyan. As Zohrabyan points out in his interview, and many have pointed out to to date, Oskanyan manages to act, with a straight face I might add, as though he has nothing to do with the present regime, how it came to be, and the policies it is continuing and fulfilling now. His selective memory as the great objective benevolent ethicist allows him the following conversation with the interviewer (I)(paraphrased, starting at 16:15):

I: What can be done in this situation, by the people, to change the situation. If the number of people protesting starts growing at all, they are not only beaten, but they may also be fired upon- we have seen that. What is the way out, what are the options, how do we move forward?

Oskanyan: I have given a general ideological framework about that. Those involved have to think about that... We all have to think about that. I do not have a formula for that. But I know that this cannot continue this way, something has to change. I have hope that, in the end, we will be able to find a way...

So, Mr. Oskanyan, what is it that you are doing to help the people achieve that change? Did making Kocharyan's announcements for him on television in March, 2008, help progress? Or was it the watering of your eyes, or did you say you shed tears, for what happened? Have you worked to free the political prisoners in Armenia, and I have not seen it? Have you been busy defending those who are being rendered homeless on Byuzant street, right by your office on Northern Avenue, because I have not seen that either. Or maybe you are visiting the youth in the hospital when they are beaten by the police and cadres of Bazaz?

And before I move on (since I promised to be short-winded) I can't resist this one - the Tert article quotes Oskanyan as calling the regime change of 1998 "A coup." If it was a coup, why were you part of it for ten years, or even one minute?

On to Mr. Zohrabyan. He actually does quite a good job in commenting on Oskanyan, and being surprised at just how easily Oskanyan is able to distance himself, in just 2 years, from a regime he worked with for 10 years. Oskanyan was a "teammmate," he notes. These policies, this framework of action on NK and related affairs in general, were built by a team which included Kocharyan and Oskanyan - why is Oskanyan criticizing them now?

Mr. Zohrabyan, however, seems to live in another reality. The events of March 1, 2008 were "minor clashes." You see, he explains, this type of things happens all around the world, and opposition and government blame each other, and there are unnecessary victims, but no one ever knows the truth - Smooth, Mr. Zohrabyan! And things in Armenia, they're just fine (quotes from a1plus):

“I see no grounds for a power change. Moreover, I see no political crisis in the country while Oskanian says the moment for a power change has matured. Thanks God, the minor clashes of March 1, 2010 are left behind,” said Razmik Zohrabyan.

“I cannot understand what Mr. Oskanian is displeased with. Why should our teammate raise the issue of power change?”

These two do seem to be at odds with each other, but in the end, I don't see either of them as being in touch with the reality most Armenians in Armenia are living each day.

But to get back to the "at odds" business. Word has it that Oskanyan has always been close to Kocharyan, as is, by the by, Dodi Gago. And talk of a Kocharyan return has ebbed and flowed since he left. And recently, Dodi Gago was quite critical of this regime, as now was Oskanyan. And the ARF, close to Kocharyan since they both sold out to each other during his first term, continues their half-hearted criticism (though this is no surprise). And Armenian Times recently published a piece about an argument between Kocharyan and Sargsyan. And lets not forget Kocharyan's recent international travels.

One has to wonder if at some point, the flow will happen, with no ebb, and keep going - and we will wake up and Kocharyan will have some government position...

[pics are from a1plus]

Congrats to HZH

Haykakan Zhamanak (aka Armenian Times) now has many of its articles in English and Russian as well!
For those who don't know, this is just about as oppositionist (and therefore persecuted) as papers in Armenia come. The editor-in-chief, Nikol Pashinyan, is a political prisoner today in Armenia due to his very active and vocal role in the opposition to Serge Sargsyan during the February 2008 presidential elections. He has a long history of being both loathed and feared by the regime, however, as his first daily newspaper "Oragir" was also shut down, and he was a founding member of the political movement "Alternative," which became part of the "Impeachment" bloc. He continued to write in the period after March 1, 2008, while he was in hiding, and continues to write from prison even to this day.

Recently, the newspaper itself was fined for publishing a piece about former President Kocharyan's son - another attempt to harass and intimidate that most journalists in Armenia have become very familiar with by now.

And it would seem that much of the staff of Armenian Times is politically active, as reading the news, I often run into interviews or statements by others from Armenian Times. Though I'm not sure which is more frequent, the interviews, or how often the police harass, beat and detain the youth who are politically active and have ties to the paper.

The more information that more people can read, the harder it becomes to hide from the truth.

[picture is the logo from HZH website]

Remind me why we need another church

One of the new issues that has come up is the plan to demolish one of the main cinemas in Yerevan, and build a new church.
Unzipped has posted two great posts, in Armenian and English, with the relevant information, as well as a video.

There is also a petition that was started recently, all who agree are encouraged to sign, Petition Here

But, back to the video mentioned. It is an interview with Samvel Karapetyan, who is the head of an architectural society in Armenia. He makes a very, very, strong case, as to why we, we as in Armenians, and specifically, Yerevan, does not need yet another church.

And he goes further. That if the church cares so much for the people, for the wellbeing of Armenians, then they should help build them houses, feed people, build schools, waterways, ... He points out that there are thousands of ways of helping to care for and strengthen the nation, building churches is not the only way.

This point struck home for me, and I have touched on it a bit in the past in my posts, in regards to March 1, to present day problems in Armenia, and our history. I see how so many so-called leaders of the Church live, and I imagine how much they could do to truly better the nation. If, I suppose, it was in their best interest.

Honestly, I see these pictures, and just starting imagining how much wealth I see there,... and how much poverty I see in Armenia.

Charged for stealing dolma!

Pashinyan's case was just at the appeals court for the last two days. A1plus, HZH, and other sources have some articles, and RFE/RL has some snippets of the court proceedings. Fortunately, a1plus has also posted a couple of videos, from which I have transcribed/translated a few choice pieces... Why would I do this? Because Pashinyan has a way of distilling reality to fundamental truths and reason, without oversimplifying... and of finding humor in even the gravest injustices...

From a1plus article in English:

"I am charged with the murders that took place on March 1. Everyone knows that Robert Kocharyan gave the command to open fire on March 1. The government needed as much verdicts for March 1 as possible. Serzh Sargsyan didn't collect as much votes during the February 19 elections as the verdicts on March 1 were reached.”
"According to the verdict against me, I am the commander of Commanders Sasun Mikayelyan, Myasnik Malkhasyan and Hakob Hakobyan. That is a great honor for me, but such a formulation is ridiculous."

From the March 5 19:00 RFE/RL broadcast:

"Why are the ten victims included in the judgements against me? If this is part of the judgement against me, then Gor Kloyans father should not be sitting in the back rows of the courtroom, but rather he should be a plaintiff in this case… as well as the families of the other victims…
Why is this in the sentence against me, and in the others being charged as well…
Three of the ten victims were killed as a result of police operations.
Why should I stand here in court today, and read about the death of the ten victims in the sentencing against me, about the victims of Robert Kocharyan and his ruling regime ; why should I read about the victims of Kocharyan’s murdering skinheads in my judgement?
Can anyone answer that question?"
…
"In the name of lawfulness, in the name of constitutional order, for the future of our children…
And in the name of having our children have a homeland where they can all stand equal before the law…
In the name of democracy, freedom of expression, of human rights,
I will struggle until the end, whether I am in freedom, or in prison."

And from the A1 plus video above:
“The police standing there knew why the people were standing there; the police understand that we were struggling for the future of all of our children”

Gor Kloyan's Father Sargis Kloyan, interjects into Pashinyan’s statement when Pashinyan begins to speak of the ruling authorities during March 1:
“The terrorists!… The scavenging animals! The scoundrel! The scum! The bandits! The masters of the crooks! I am the father of Gor Kloyan, victim of March 1… they fired on the people, on our children – the bandits!" At that point, Mr. Kloyan was escorted out of the courtoom...

Pashinyan continues:

"I think nobody can deny, especially the authorities, that during the past ten years, that they [the authorities] have used every means at their disposal to try have me join their, to put it bluntly, plundering brigade... They used every means you could think of… They brought criminal charges against me, they tried to bribe me, they tried to blackmail me; they did everything to try to get me to join their plundering ranks… They are plundering the country with each other, let them plunder… And having been unable to reach their goal, they are coming and accusing me of having broken some glass to steal some dolma…"

There is a lot more, hopefully i'll get a chance to post it soon.

Our sons stood in the streets...

Today was March 1. And, I have to admit, I was somewhat finger-tied on what to write. Not that I have nothing to say on the matter, but rather, too much to say.
But what do I have to say, that has not already been said, that is not so obvious and clear?
But as I listened to RFE/RL (21:00 broadcast), I heard the statement of the mother of one of the victims of March 1, here it is in English:

Our sons stood outside with you in the streets, to stand for and support their votes… to establish a lawful and free country…
I am convinced that what we wanted would have come to fruition, if this guilty government, in order to save its position and wealth, without any conscience or sense of responsibility, had not opened fire on our children in the center of the city, if they had not spilled their blood… No one gave these unlawful authorities the right to fire upon our children.
We will struggle, until the last murderer and those from above who gave the orders, those from the lowest to the highest levels, stand before justice….
The March 1 page HAS not closed, it WILL not be closed…

An online chat I had with a friend while listening to the radio reminded of certain truths, truths that are important to all who claim to want international human rights, freedoms, and justice, whether they be the oligarchs of the Republic of Armenia, PACE, western governments, or other entities:

-The events of March 1 were not just an unfortunate occurrence of accidental police/army power

-The pro-SS/RK forces silenced and beat voices in their opposition prior to the election

-The pro-SS/RK forces planned and carried out mass falsification of the February 2008 Presidential Elections in Armenia

-Days in advance, the SS/RK government issued an order to attack peaceful protesters: an attack which resulted in the physical beating, harassment, imprisonment, and deadly shooting, of peaceful protesters

-Immediately after the elections, the international community blatantly denied the injustices which they knew had occurred

-To this day, the international community not only has not come out strongly against the elections and violence of the presidential elections, with PACE only recently having recognized the events as a probable ("bears the characteristics of a") Coup d'Etat, but the western community uses said events as leverage against the Armenian government, compromised in its illegitimacy, to negotiate and pressure the Armenian government in other, nationally critical international affairs.

-And among the most important, the Republic of Armenia continues to this day to:
- intimidate and beat its own citizens, including youth, and to oppress their
civil and human rights
- hold political prisoners
- silence opposition media
- produce illegal obstacles, both physical and other, to the existence and growth
of a healthy opposition

The government of Armenia has failed to investigate the events of March 1, the violence and murders of that time, and has tried only to hide the truth of these events, and pass these events into a forgotten history of the Armenian people.

These are undeniable truths.

March 1 will not be forgotten.

The March 1 page is NOT closed.

[Picture is a still from the a1plus video from March 1 2010 march)

You see class, you just grab here and squeeze...

Unzipped's February 20 posting has this picture which I had not seen from the recent Youth-led opposition rally, where a policeman has his hand around the neck of one of the young protesters. The picture has brought forth some discussion. A1plus has also published the police report of that day's goings-on.

Let's say the comments on Unzipped's post are true, as is the police report, that the youth were inciting and yelling, cursing, disrupting traffic and were gathered illegally. Lets say all of that is true, as it very well may be. That does not, in any way, justify this behavior by the policeman. I am not defending what may have been the behavior of some of the protesters. I am only saying the following: even if that youth in the picture were physically attacking that policeman, or harming someone else, even then there are ways of subduing unarmed protesters without choking them - which to me, at least, seems extremely personal, and violent. That type of grabbing, choking hold is truly more befitting of a gang member, or dirty street fighter, not a policeman - but there's no surprise there.

And that violent behavior, that boundless lawlessness, the right they have given themselves to take away the rights and dignity of the people of Armenia, that self-righteousness of those in power, whether they are police or parliamentarians or those in the executive branch, is exactly why things have reached the point that have, and exactly why there is an opposition protesting in the streets.

[thanks to unzipped for publishing the pic - it is by Setrak Mkrtchyan, PanArmenian Photo, which by the way has more photos from the same occasion here]

Sitting is threatening to the banditocracy

The march on the 19th had hundreds, and a sit-in. The red berets and police pushed the crowd, and it almost seems in the video that the people pushed back. Not violently, but firmly. A couple of times when one protester became more outspoken or obvious than the others, the police or red berets would try to grab them out of the crowd, and drag them off. According to a1plus, they did manage to grab Vahagn Gevorgyan, and drove off with him, letting him go 10 minutes later - a technique they've used before.

Here is the a1plus video (another from a1plus and a tert video):


In fact, according to lragir, six youth activits were taken to the police station: Tigran Arakelyan, Sargis Gevorgyan, Sergey Gasparyan, Varag Nahapetyan, Vahagn Gevorgyan and Areg Gevorgyan. One person, Sargis Ghazaryan, was taken to the hospital.

And in another lragir article, several of the mothers of those killed on March 1 were also at the March, and were pushed and punched.

The authorities are definitely scared - the numbers were bigger, the weather is warmer, and March 1 is coming up. Sit-ins, I think, are a great idea- I hope they continue.

We know they're willing to beat women and youth, and shoot into crowds at night, so I wont bother with that question. But how many times can Sargsyan use that solution? How far are police and red berets willing to go against individuals sitting, and in broad daylight?

On another note, did anyone see Bazaz in there? I thought I caught a glimpse, but I'm not sure - maybe he sat this one out?

Report on Attacks on Journalists

From A1plus

"Committee to Protect Journalists" has issued a report entitled "Attacks on the Press 2009: Armenia"

"The nation remained polarized by the fraud-marred 2008 presidential election won by Serzh Sargsyan, with large public protests and violent government reprisals continuing well into 2009. The global economic crisis caused layoffs in the mining industry and a decline in remittances from Russia, heightening public frustrations. The government sought to suppress critical debate over these issues, and journalists faced intolerance, hostility, and violence.

The government maintained control over most broadcast media, the primary news source in a poverty-afflicted country with poor newspaper distribution and low Internet penetration. The Council on Public Radio and Television, composed of presidential appointees, continued to set editorial guidelines for H1 state television, ensuring the station generated pro-government reports. Most private radio and television stations were owned by politicians and businessmen with close ties to the government, leading to significant self-censorship by journalists and limited critical news reporting on the airwaves, CPJ research showed.

One independent news outlet remained off the air. In February, a Yerevan appellate court dismissed lawsuits filed by the media outlet A1+ that sought reconsideration of its broadcast license applications. The station, pulled from the airwaves in 2002 in reprisal for its critical news reports, has seen a dozen license applications rejected by the government's broadcast regulator. (A1+ has continued operating as an independent online news agency.) The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2008 that the regulator violated the European Convention on Human Rights by repeatedly rejecting the applications without explanation.

Other forms of government obstruction were reported on a regular basis. In January, bailiffs in a Yerevan court prevented journalists from attending the trial of seven opposition activists charged with illegal participation in 2008 protests, according to local press reports. In August, the police chief in the northwestern city of Gyumri prevented a crew from Shant TV, a private station, from covering protests in front of the mayor's office concerning the closing of a local market, local press reports said. That same month, parliament issued new media accreditation rules that authorized suspensions of journalists whose reports "do not correspond to reality" or that disrespect the "lawful interests, honor, and dignity" of members of parliament, according to local press reports. Parliamentary staff members were given wide discretion to administer the rules.

Violent attacks against journalists continued amid a climate of impunity. On March 13, security guards at the State Linguistics University in Yerevan knocked freelance photographer Gagik Shamshian to the ground and kicked him after he tried to photograph students protesting alleged faculty corruption, according to press reports. Shamshian was hospitalized for six days with internal bleeding. A security guard was briefly questioned by police but was not charged.

In April, three unidentified assailants attacked Argishti Kivirian, editor of the independent news Web site Armenia Today, outside his home in Yerevan, according to press reports. The assailants beat him with clubs, leaving the editor hospitalized with a concussion and severe bruising. Kivirian's colleagues and family linked the attack to his professional activities, noting that he had received prior work-related threats. Lusine Sahakaian, a prominent defense lawyer and the editor's wife, criticized police for failing to collect evidence at the crime scene, the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Armenia Today's Web site was plagued by denial-of-service attacks throughout the year-including a series of attacks that coincided with the assault on Kivirian.

A third attack also generated no arrests and little evident police investigation. Nver Mnatsakanian, a prominent commentator for Shant TV, was punched and knocked to the ground by two unidentified men as he was walking home in Yerevan on the evening of May 6, according to press reports. Mnatsakanian, who was forced to cancel his show for two days, criticized police for claiming the attack was the result of mistaken identity.

Attacks spiked in May, several of them related to a Yerevan mayoral election that was marred by allegations of fraud. Gohar Vezirian, a reporter for the opposition newspaper Chorrord Ishkhanutyun, was beaten by supporters of pro-government candidate Gagik Beglarian after she informed an election commissioner that the candidate's supporters had unlawfully entered a polling station in Yerevan, according to the news Web site EurasiaNet. Election officials stood by when pro-government supporters threatened Nelly Gregorian, a reporter for the independent daily Aravot, confiscated her camera and erased photos at a polling station in Yerevan, according to the London-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR).

Law enforcement officials were either ambivalent or hostile to the press. Col. Hovhannes Tamamian, a senior police investigator, told reporters at a May 8 press conference that police were working hard to arrest assailants in the attacks-but he suggested journalists should arm themselves in defense, according to international press reports. In August, when prosecutors were angered by media criticism of an investigation into the activities of an outspoken environmental activist, a spokesman for the prosecutor general warned journalists that the office "regularly sends publications to police for assessment," IWPR reported. The comment was seen as a veiled threat that journalists would be harassed if they continued reporting on the case.

Arman Babadzhanian, 33, editor of the opposition daily Zhamanak Yerevan and a critic of law enforcement officials, was released from prison in August after doctors diagnosed a brain tumor, according to press reports. In 2006, he was sentenced to four years in prison after publishing an article that questioned the independence of the Yerevan prosecutor's office. Babadzhanian had been convicted of forging documents to skirt military service; he did not dispute the allegation, but he and press freedom advocates, including CPJ, said the prosecution was selective and retaliatory. Babadzhanian underwent surgery outside the country and was recovering in late year."

And he just keeps taking and taking...

This article came out the other day in Haykakan Zhamanak - as I didn't see this much detail anywhere else in English - I put it up myself...

4 Billion Dollars Plus 3.3 Million Drams

We learned yesterday that that a lien was placed on the property of “Haykakan Zhamanak” publisher Dareskizb, Ltd., on the basis of a demand by the family of Robert Kocharyan that they be paid the court ordered 3,300,000 drams.

We should remind the reader that as a result of the “Kocharyan vs. Haykakan Zhamanak” civil suit, the court had imposed a fine of that exact amount on our newspaper. And the occasion for the fine was the publication in our newspaper recounting the drunken debauchery of Kocharyan’s youngest son, Levon, in Dubai. The Kocharyans had gone to court and demanded 15 million drams from Haykakan Zhamanak for slander. At the end, the result of that disgraceful trial was that the court set a fine of 3, 300,000 drams on our newspaper.

Yesterday, we paid that amount at the court to lift the lien on our property. Thus, the Kocharyans were able to add another 3,300,000 drams to the four billion dollars they had looted from Armenia.

But we paid that amount with pleasure, because it is not for nil. After all, the day is not far when they will return to the people not only that three million drams, but also the other four billion dollars. No tyrant can digest what he has devoured.

[The picture is from HZH as well]

News items and theories abound...

I first saw this on HNazarian's blog, and it is in the news as well. Armen Sargsyan is confirmed to have been arrested and accused of treason for allegedly leaking documents of Order #0038, which revealed that the preparation for military involvement in the March 1 events occurred on February 23. This recently got PACE in a huff, and according to the draft resolution apparently they now think March 1 was Coup d'Etat attempt. A tad slow, methinks, but that's another story.
Armen Sargsyan, by the way, is the cousin of the late Vazgen Sargsyan. And here is the PACE document from 3 February, 2010, calling it a Coup d'Etat.

Speaking of PACE, the Political Prisoners Committee and the Youth Committee of the Armenian National Congress had sent out a letter to Ambassador Yanez Lenarcic
Director, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, arguing for the public release of the March 1 report. Here it is, in English, and in Armenian.
Interestingly enough, there have been some rumblings about Pashinyan recently, including by PACE.

And just today, SIL group was invaded by the police department, and Saribek Sukiasyan, brother of Khatachur Sukiasyan, was taken in to custody. The theories abound as to why, but there is no clear answer, yet. I first saw that one on Aramazd's blog, and the comments are accumulating quickly...

And now for a comedy break... that's accurate, too!

This video was apparently made in 2007, but has been circulating on Facebook. It is one of the most intelligent, hilarious, pieces of work I think I have ever seen, possibly in any media format, ever. It is so well done, and so accurate, on so many levels, that I think any attempt to explain why might take away from it.
Maybe I'll try later. But what I keep asking myself, while I watch it over and over, is how on earth the actors kept from laughing on screen.