Footprints - Armenia » armenian politics

Armenian Activism at its finest

editor — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:08:17 +0000

This video depicts a confrontation between environmental activists and Syunik governor Surik Khachatryan in Kajaran (the video is in Armenian).

Basically they are saying what I wrote in my previous post, emphasizing that the extracted copper and the profits associated with its sale on the market will go to Germany, where the parent mining company is based, and that the Armenia economy as well as the countless village inhabitants that will be displaced, won’t reap any benefit from the mining.

The woman wearing the hat is the maverick Mariam Sukhudyan, but unfortunately I cannot identify the man in the camouflage jacket. Mariam is certainly an inspirational woman and she is the single most effective spokesman for badly needed change in this country — change in the mindset and the corrupted values fostered by so many politicians here.

Towards the end of the video he called her a dragonfly and purportedly said that something “bad” would happen to her if she continued her protest (it was not audible but appeared in print).

Her continued efforts (as well as those of her teammates) will undoubtedly spark a fire in the hearts of many Armenians to stand up for themselves. It’s just a question of when.

One thing is certain for many people not just in Syunik but in the minds of many here in Yerevan — this guy has to go and this project must be stopped. He can barely defend himself and can’t even speak proper Armenian. Being born in the States I was not educated in Armenia and mostly self-taught in the language, yet it seems I can speak better Armenian than he can. The video is testament to how utterly uneducated Khachatryan and undoubedly many other people in government are.

Kudos to these brave activists. May their crucial work continue unabated.

Waiting for Sarkisian to do the right thing

editor — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:09:28 +0000

Serge Sarkisian, left, and Surik Khachatryan (Photolur photo)

One week has passed since the assault accusations against Syunik governor Surik Khachatryan were revealed to the public. On Monday, November 14, while leaving the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan Silva Hambardzumian, a businesswoman, was allegedly hit on the head by Khachatryan, who later denied any wrongdoing. Naturally, no one working at the hotel saw anything, not even the doorman apparently. The parliamentarian Khachik Manukian who happened to be there and purportedly witnessed everything according to Hambardzumian later said that he had arrived on the scene just moments after the incident of violence took place. Now the Special Investigative Service (SIS) is looking into the matter, although its unlikely it will hold Khachatryan accountable.

The issue stems from an allegation made by Hambardzumian that equipment worth 100 million dram had essentially been stolen from her mine then found its way to a different mine owned by Khachatryan, and she passed blame on him, who besides being a regional governor is a feared thug (and, according to former defense minister Vasken Manukian, an “uneducated criminal”).

Khachatryan is no stranger to controversy. He is believed to have embezzled about $1.5 million in state funds in 2008, as determined by the Audit Chamber of the National Assembly, and got away with it.

Apparently Khachatryan is well connected to President Serge Sarkisian and has even been described as his “protégé.” He apparently ran an election campaign for the president’s brother Alexander in 2007. His relations with former president Robert Kocharian are also excellent. For these reasons alone, there is a very good chance that he will not face prosecution and walk away scot-free.

Not unless, of course, the president wants to add to the credibility of his legitimacy. President Sarkisian has been cleaning house lately, forcing several high-level officials to resign. In the last month both the Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan and National Assembly president Hovik “Moog” Abrahamyan stepped down (the press insists they left their posts because of their ties to Robert Kocharian, who supposedly wants to run for president in 2013). A year ago Sarkisian fired then mayor Gagik Beglaryan for slapping around one of his assistants. The president not only has to give the impression that he is not tolerating any nonsense from any of his officials, he also has to show the world that governmental corruption or ethical misconduct cannot be tolerated on any level.

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian claimed that the authorities are waiting for a final determination from SIS before action is taken against Khachatryan. But the right thing for the president to do would be to replace the governor. The accusation of assault in a public setting is reason enough to fire him.

The position of regional governor should be an honor to hold. But for Khachatryan, his post is nothing more but a conduit to do unchecked business and even get away with misappropriating state funds. President Sarkisian, do the Armenian citizenry good service by promptly sacking Khachatryan and make sure that his replacement will actually respect his governing role. Armenia certainly doesn’t need another mafia boss in a position of power.

Reflecting on twenty years of independence

editor — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:16:01 +0000

Twenty years ago when Armenia declared itself independent from Soviet rule it was not only claiming statehood, it was calling for a restoration of values. The Armenian people would be able to think and create freely in a fledgling democracy that was both naïve yet highly optimistic. Many people believed that prosperity was on the horizon, jobs would be created, and a bright future awaited them. Little did they know that both war and unchecked entrepreneurship would set them back several years. Some have never seen any kind of prosperity after independence, whether financial or spiritual.

Armenia today is ruled by a handful of wealthy families competing for prominence, similar to what you would find in a Hollywood film about the mafia, but without all the gory violence. The common people are subjects to the nepotistic society these leaders, or oligarchs, have created. Citizens who speak out against government decisions are cruelly suppressed by this system. Others are victims to bad policies and lose their livelihoods in the process. Civil society is weak, and initiatives to bring about change in the form of grassroots movements are often supported by outside special interest groups, mainly from the US or Europe. Narcissism has long become a virtue of the nepotists, with general disregard for law and order and respect for neighborhood peace violated day and night. Society is increasingly polarized with the dividing line between the haves and have nots all the more obvious. The social equality of Armenia’s soviet past is long gone.

Although the president is quite aware of the dire economic and societal issues that most Armenians face day to day, he either plays them down or fails to address them. For instance, he recently discounted the somber fact that entire villages have been relocating to remote parts of Russia as part of a controversial resettlement program promoted by the Russian government. Judging from the headlines in the Armenian press, it is clear that the president is often out of sync with what is transpiring in the country he supposedly rules.

Below is a list of problems that the president needs to contend with to ensure Armenia’s democratic and economic progress in the years to come:

Create jobs. In the wake of independence countless factories that were prosperous during the soviet era closed either overnight or during the course of several years. Although some like chemical plants and sugar processing facilities have reopened in recent years, Armenia’s industrial output is nowhere near what it was just before the Soviet Union began to crumble. The permanent closure of key factories in rural areas, like Sisian in the southern Syunik region and Charentsavan to the north of the capital, not to mention scores of other towns throughout the country, have resulted in a depopulation, with many people once living in small towns and villages flocking to Yerevan or leaving the country, most of them for Russia, in search of work. The president needs to create an environment whereby new factories can be built by wealthy Armenian citizens or foreign businessmen weary of doing business in Armenia. Eradicating corruption in the tax and customs departments and simplifying the business registration process would be an excellent start.

Promote small business. Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan made himself public enemy by sweeping traders off the streets (oddly only florists are allowed to sell roses from sidewalk stands) and destroying inconspicuous kiosks where cobblers, tailors, and cigarette sellers set up shop. Shopkeepers are harassed by taxmen and some are even forced to close for days on end while they scramble to clear up minute discrepancies found as a result of loopholes purposely left open by the tax authorities to extort bribes. Although Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian has often talked about encouraging the growth of small businesses, he has been reluctant to disclose the details of policies his government plans to implement. Tax breaks coupled with guaranteed interest-free government loans would encourage small businesses to open and help nurture an environment of trust.

Encourage civil society. In flourishing, deep-rooted democracies dissent and opposition to government policy are tolerated, and public advocacy is allowed to function. Initiatives to promote civil society need to be implemented, mainly by immediately stopping police confrontations or crackdowns on peaceful demonstrators. Society cannot be built while oppression and fear looms overhead Armenian citizens.

Tax the wealthy and give tax breaks to the lower classes. Hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue can be generated if only oligarchs were taxed, the sums of which could be funneled to important social programs. By 2006 estimates 26.5 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Free housing could be provided to impoverished citizens still living in shacks, temporary housing, or on the street. Also, pensioners could finally receive monthly stipends that are in line with the current standard of living, which is continually on the rise with food prices often skyrocketing, especially in the period leading up to the holiday season. The government should aim to eradicate poverty nationwide, and it can easily do so if and when taxes are properly collected.

Prevent emigration and promote immigration. President Sarkisian desperately needs to draft a plan for slowing down the exodus from Armenia. That should include job creation through promoting foreign investment in the manufacturing and IT sectors, an increase in the minimum wage, and equal opportunity, particularly in government agencies. He also needs to address the relatively low birthrate, with 12 children born for every 1,000 people and on average one child born per household, according to 2011 figures. He also needs to ensure that infrastructure is modernized even in the most remote villages of the republic. Several areas of Artsakh along with the Armenian controlled territories surrounding it must be populated, and that again can only come about with increased investment and the vital infrastructure in place. When Armenians worldwide feel confident that the Armenian government is able to provide the means and conditions for promoting growth throughout the regions, they will begin to immigrate.

These are only a handful of issues that loom over Armenia’s destiny. There are just as many if not more challenges related to Armenian foreign policy that must be addressed, the most important being the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which seems to be floating in an eternal stalemate.

In his Independence Day remarks, President Sarkisian hailed the new generation of the republic recognizing its “concerns and demands” of a better society. He also stated that “… in the next twenty years we will be able to build a country which will come close to our ideals. I believe in that because I believe in our collective power.”

Now the pressure is on the president. He alone can muster the support of both an apathetic public and the oligarchic society backing him by making the right policy decisions that would benefit all, not just a select few. That is a difficult balancing act, but the means to accomplish such a feat simply need implementing and the vision to do so. Having said that, it is up to Armenian society as a collective whole to ensure he aspires to the same ideals to which he alludes, the same that all citizens expect to live by.

Interview with Raffi Hovannisian

editor — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 06:20:59 +0000

My interview with Heritage leader Raffi Hovannisian was published on the Armenian Weekly web site yesterday. I recorded the interview while he was on his hunger strike in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on Saturday.

Here’s an excerpt from one of his responses:

Raffi Hovannisian at Liberty Square, March 17, 2011. Karen Minasyan photo.

If we postpone to the next cycle of elections the resolution of the issues that face us today, we’ll find ourselves in front of a predetermined election, in other words the people will become more fatalistic than they are today. We talk about what is real in Armenia, which means do nothing or there’s a great danger of renewed violence because there’s a lot of pent-up frustration based on the injustice, inequality, and unlawfulness that reigns in the country today. So my one expectation is from the authorities, and the second expectation is from civil society, from the Armenian public, to find itself the master of the public agenda and not to wait for anybody, whether it’s the incumbent president or opposition parties, to tell it from rostrums and podiums and elsewhere what to do, to empower the Armenian public with the message that their rights are in their hands, that this square, the symbol of liberty, democracy, and liberation for Artsakh, belongs to all Armenians, and there’s no reason for Armenians to be displaced from this square, from their expression of their free will and different views. And I’m happy to report that thousands of people entered the square for the rally on Thursday [March 17] to express solidarity, to take back the square, and to exercise their constitutional rights to be the masters of the square. The important thing now is for the Armenian people to be the master of their own destiny and their own political agenda.

You can read the interview in its entirety on the Armenian Weekly’s web site.

Should Armenia Have Withdrawn Its Signature?

editor — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:14:15 +0000

A week after President Serge Sarkisian announced that the National Assembly would put the ratification process of the Turkish-Armenian protocols on the backburner, harsh criticism is coming to light from the opposition and even former government heads.

The comments I’ve read that are perhaps most troubling come from former Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian, who seems convinced that Armenia is now doomed in its new position, claiming that Turkey has more ammunition to meddle in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

In a statement that appears on the Civilitas Foundation web site he expresses the following:

I am astonished by two things, however. First, the government is openly acknowledging that for one whole year they watched as Turkey placed preconditions before them, Turkey exploited the process for its own benefit, and they not only tolerated this, but continuously insisted that this is not happening and that this whole process is a big success and an unprecedented diplomatic victory.

Second, if there were half a dozen possible exit strategies from this situation – from doing nothing to revoking Armenia’s signature – the government has chosen the option least beneficial to us… The Armenian side did that which is most desirable for Turkey: neither ratified the protocols nor revoked them thus giving Turkey the opportunity to continue to remain actively engaged in the Karabakh process.

Criticism by former heads of government is a normal thing, but Oskanian seems a bit too emotional in his text and offers no new approaches for how to move forward. He advocates that the government acknowledge its mistakes (he instead craftily used the phrase “avoid accepting the truthfulness of the criticism”) first, in language akin to a naughty child being scolded by his mother.

The Armenian National Congress last week said:

“By suspending the ratification process and at the same time expressing readiness to continue it, the regime is, in effect, acknowledging that it has found itself in deadlock … and is trying to save face before the domestic public and the international community with deficient, unprincipled and inconsistent actions.”

The last part is a bit perplexing to me. Just how was suspending the ratification process “deficient, unprincipled and inconsistent?” Would that action have been described that way had Levon Ter-Petrosian been in Sarkisian’s position and done the same? Who can say whether the situation would have been any different?

I think that it was a wise decision for Yerevan to at least suspend the ratification process. But I disagree with the former Foreign Minister—the worst thing the government could have actually done was to relent to Turkey’s preconditions and open the border on Ankara’s own terms. It would have been better perhaps as the opposition points out for Armenia to withdraw its signature in light of the circumstances, but you can take that sentiment a step further and say that Armenia should never have signed the protocols to begin with, and none of the opposition forces should have ever allowed that to happen when they had plenty of time to stop it. Instead, they remained divided and disorganized.

By suspending the ratification process Yerevan casts Ankara in shadow of doubt, making the Turkish side look totally uninterested in opening the border at all—this is fairly obvious by now to the international community, and for me at least it was a long time ago.
Also regarding speculation being expressed in the media, I don’t see how the OSCE would allow a Turkish diplomat to become a member of the Minsk Group given that the reconciliation process is frozen, and how Armenia would ever go along with Ankara becoming a player in the peace negotiations to begin with. Then again, I am not a political analyst nor am I a politician looking for a future role to play in government.

Oskanian, the Congress and other opposition parties can say what they want, but rather than simply cast blame, let them propose new initiatives in the National Assembly for the governing authorities to consider moving forward. You see both sides criticize each other separately in press conferences and written statements, but very rarely do you see them engage each other in the public eye through debate and an exchange of ideas.

The Sarkisian administration and the opposition need to see eye to eye on the future steps towards reconciliation, because the longer they ignore one another, the ever more confused and disillusioned the public will be. Without some practical consensus on the Turkish-Armenian state of affairs the Armenian position will never appear to be very strong. The Armenian government needs to weigh the position of its foes on this issue before it makes any more decisions.

Photo credit: Andrew C.

Rumors Spreading About a Sarkisian-Ter-Petrosian Alliance Against Kocharian

editor — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:28:08 +0000

There is unsubstantiated speculation that President Serge Sarkisian may join political forces with Levon Ter-Petrosian in a political alliance to thwart any chance of Robert Kocharian’s return to power. Although Kocharian has repeatedly denied intentions of returning to political life, there are indicators that suggest otherwise.

On Tuesday at the Armenian National Congress rally in Yerevan, Ter-Petrosian made mention of a “seance” recently being held in Dubai– Kocharian had assembled various oligarchs there to hold a secret meeting. But Ter-Petrossian didn’t elaborate on the details.

However, according to rumor he purportedly told his supporters that it was necessary to get rid of Sarkisian for making perceived foreign policy blunders, and that he needed their backing to overthrow him once the time came. Among them was Hovik “Moog” Abrahamian, the president of the National Assembly and a member of the Republican party of which Sarkisian is of course the leader. Purportedly, Abrahamian, who is rumored to be backing Kocharian, agreed to lend his support so long as he in the mix of things became President of Armenia for at least four days, as the president of the National Assembly is second to the throne until a new president is elected according to the Armenian constitution.

Since these revelations were brought to light several of Abramahian’s relatives working as public servants were dismissed from their positions in various administrative and governmental departments, like the Customs House where one of them had a senior position, according to a source which I can’t reveal.

Kocharian’s press office released a statement in reaction to Ter-Petrosian’s speech on Tuesday which has appeared on various news sites in Armenian. A1 Plus managed to translate it into English. Here’s an excerpt.

Ter-Petrosyan and the Armenian National Movement diverted me a lot. They are involved in a strange activity. They decide that I dream about returning to politics and then start fighting against my return. After a while, they find out that I haven’t returned, are shocked and say their actions stopped me. Each of my trips or speeches becomes an occasion to break into an outrage.

I would advise those men not to be so tense, or else they may acquire an aging hemorrhoid by not being accustomed to the overload.

The last statement alone just shows how precarious Kocharian’s intentions and even emotional stability are. The disastrous events of March 1 are still fresh on people’s minds; no one can dare forget about what happened and how it was covered up. If society ever allows him to take power again, there’s something dreadfully wrong.

But if there is a power struggle, it will most likely mean a war between oligarch clans. Serge has already announced his intentions to run for president in 2012, so he’ll be ready to put up a fight to thwart any attempts at being overthrown. There have already been clashes reported in the news between the Republican party and Prosperous Armenia–which is backed by Kocharian–over who has the most clout on the Yerevan city council. These clashes of course were denied in news reports but nevertheless, the news is out there and there’s no reason to doubt it. Now it’s just a question of where allegiances truly lie.

Another separate rumor claims that if Serge does not cut a deal to appease Turkey and Azerbaijan in a supposed, behind-the-scenes package deal to ratify the protocols and agree to a final Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement, he will be forced to resign by the foreign powers that be. That would leave room for Kocharian to potentially take power again, or else Ter-Petrossian somehow since there’s no one else powerful enough and supported internationally to take the reins at the moment.

I think it’s safe to say that no one can accurately forecast what’s really going to happen in the near future, but one thing’s for sure–all this speculation is certainly intriguing.

What Does the ARF Want?

editor — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:03:08 +0000

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun (ARF-D) has managed to change its position on the government’s signing and subsequent expected ratification of the protocols at least four times since October.

Just after the signing of the agreement to introduce the protocols last August, the ARF-D Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian claimed that the party would do everything necessary to stop the anticipated signing of them. RFE/RL reported the following on September 16, 2009 alluding to the end of Serge Sarkisian’s reign should the protocols be signed:

President Serzh Sarkisian will lose power if he presses head with the signing of controversial agreements with Turkey, a top leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) warned on Wednesday.

“I think that he must finally sober up and refuse to sign them just because of his own interests,” said Hrant Markarian, the de facto head of the hard-line opposition party’s top governing body, the Bureau. “You must not cut the tree branch on which you are sitting.”

Markarian claimed that a deal with Turkey negotiated on the existing terms would the last straw for a considerable part of Armenia’s population unhappy with the government. “The people would sooner or later hold him accountable, and the price would be heavy,” he said, adding: “I believe that we would not be able to carry on.”

On October 8, Markarian gave even harsher criticism, calling to seek regime change should the protocols be signed.

Dashnaktsutyun, which was represented in Armenia’s ruling coalition until April, has so far refrained from seeking to unseat Sarkisian despite its harsh criticism of the two Turkish-Armenian protocols finalized by Ankara and Yerevan. It has instead proposed several amendments to the documents and tried to prevent their unconditional ratification by parliament.

“We will fight and are even ready to find a way out with the authorities,” said Hrant Markarian, the de facto head of Dashnaktsutyun’s top decision-making body. “But if we don’t meet with a corresponding attitude, we will not hesitate to go to the end, to go for regime change.”

The ARF-D reiterated this tough stance on October 12 shortly after the protocols were signed two days before.

The most vocal critic of the deal, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), said it will fight against the protocols’ ratification by parliament “by all possible means” and again threatened to campaign for President Serzh Sarkisian’s resignation.

“The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is determined to fight for the scuttling of the protocols,” the nationalist party said in a statement. “To that end, Dashnaktsutyun will resort to all political and constitutional means, including regime change.”

On October 23, ARF-D Supreme Body leader Armen Rustamian again supported the idea of seeking the president’s resignation.

“We are preparing for regime change,” declared Rustamian. “Regime change has a broader meaning than a resignation demand. The country has deviated from its course and everything must be changed: the president, the National Assembly, the government and all those who deal with the Turkish-Armenian protocols.”

“We are preparing for regime change with this platform. This is going to be our plan for regime change,” he added, referring to a manifesto released by Dashnaktsutyun on Friday. The 6-page document speaks of “forthcoming national elections” and reaffirms the party’s position on a wide range of internal and external challenges facing Armenia.

Rustamian declined to elaborate on the announced preparations, saying only that Dashnaktsutyun will seek to “increase our support day by day.” “Regime change can’t come out of thin air,” he said, adding that Sarkisian would quit only after he feels that “there are things worse than resignation.”

The ARF-D had already submitted proposed changes to the protocols, but Prime Minister Nalbandian in an address before the National Assembly said that there was no way of modifying them while being debated for ratification. Yet the ARF-D carried on with its demands.

Then on January 13, the ARF-D backtracked on its hardline stance and said it would only seek regime change if the protocols were to be ratified.

This was announced a day after Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruling on the legitimacy of the protocols. Its ruling was made on the premise that the legality of protocols could not inhibit Armenia’s continued pursuit of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This naturally infuriated the Turkish leadership and doubt has been cast as to whether the protocols will indeed be ratified, as I pointed out in a previous post.

Two days ago the ARF-D claimed that it was responsible for influencing the Constitutional Court ruling, suggesting that President Sarkisian was essentially pressured by the party to persuade the court to make its decision. However, the ARF-D once again changed its mind and said it would only seek regime change during the next presidential elections, as Markarian noted.

Markarian reiterated in that regard Dashnaktsutyun’s calls for Armenia’s parliament to ratify the protocols with corresponding “reservations.” He indicated that his party will not seek to unseat Sarkisian with a campaign of street protests should the National Assembly ignore those calls.

“We are trying to achieve regime change by means of elections, regular or non-regular,” said Markarian. “Going beyond elections is a different thing which we don’t seek at the moment.”

So basically the ARF-D has decided that it is OK with President Sarkisian as well as the protocols after all. It took them nearly five months to figure that out, though. Why the party went back on its promise is anyone’s guess. Rumors have been spreading that the party–which is supposedly in opposition–was cooperating with the Sarkisian administration behind the scenes all along, so something apparently is going on.

All of the information conveyed above was reported in meetings and interviews with the press. Nothing has been taken out of context, as should be obvious when you read the original reports.

Incidentally, yesterday in an address before the Chattem House in London President Sarkisian announced that he would immediately urge the National Assembly to move forward with the ratification of the protocols, even though everyone was waiting for the Turkish parliament to do it first. I have yet to read the ARF-D’s reaction to this decision. Seems all its leadership can say at this point is to agree that it’s the right thing to do.

The questions are the following: Why isn’t the ARF-D concerned that it is looking hypocritical by changing its stance so many times before the Armenian public? Is it just me or does the party leadership look foolish? And who can really take the party seriously anymore?

With each passing day my faith in the Armenian political system and the fostering of democratic values in Armenian society are submerging deeper into oblivion.

Sirusho and Levon’s Wedding

editor — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:58:05 +0000

A friend of mine just sent me a hyperlink pointing to a telling photo album on the image sharing web site, Flickr. All the photos there were of the wedding of the famous Armenian pop singer Sirusho to Levon Kocharian, son of former Armenian President Robert Kocharian. Then I did a Google search for “sirusho wedding” to verify the son’s name and several links to photos as well as videos of the celebration on YouTube came up in the results.

All the photos on Flickr retain the original file names, and they were taken with a Canon EOS 50D. This obviously means that the photographer leaked these photos to someone else who uploaded them under the name, “kocharian.” There is no information about this user, other than that he joined Flickr sometime this month, and he has not posted any other photos other than those of the wedding.

In the pictures of the reception are various government ministers, members of parliaments, and oligarchs taken at some “wedding hall” presumably in Yerevan. As evident in one of the photos the couple arrived in a black Rolls-Royce. All the heavyweights are there. MP Gagik Tsarukyan of MultiGroup fame (who showed up wearing a blue tee shirt) sits next to the Prime Minister, Tigran Sargsyan. President Serge Sarkisian is seen dancing with his predecessor and wife, Bella Kocharian. The chairman of parliament Hovik (Moog) Abrahamyan, Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglaryan and his predecessor and others who I don’t recognize off hand shake hands with the former president to congratulate him. The entire leadership of the country is partying! Needless to say, no opposition party members are in the photos, including leading members of the ARF, which is surprising since they are so chummy with President Kocharian.

I find it surreal that so much visual information of this private event is all over the Internet, and whoever leaked the photos and videos obviously got away with it. But how is this possible?

Pashinian Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

editor — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:59:49 +0000

Today Nikol Pashinian, editor of the daily newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak and the firebrand spokesman for the opposition movement in Armenia, who went underground after the turbulent events of March 1, 2008 but came out of hiding last summer, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in “organizing mass riots.”

The decision to prosecute Pashinian instead of letting him off under general amnesty (had he been sentenced to five years in prison) was regarded as being politically motivated, and it certainly will be so by the international community in the coming days.

People have told me that the authorities are afraid of Pashinian and his ability to mobilize the masses to stand up for what they believe in–namely installing a democratically elected Armenian leadership. This sentencing proves that I think.

RFE/RL reports the following:

The ruling, strongly condemned by the main opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK), disqualified Pashinian from a general amnesty declared by the Armenian authorities in June. The amnesty led to the release of dozens of other opposition members arrested following the deadly clashes between security forces and opposition protesters demanding a re-run of the February 2008 presidential election.

A Yerevan court found Pashinian guilty of organizing the “mass riots” but cleared him of assaulting a police officer during another opposition demonstration staged in October 2007.

State prosecutors demanded last month prison sentences of six and two years respectively for these alleged crimes. The court ruling means that the outspoken editor of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily received an even tougher punishment for the riot charge.

***
The HAK swiftly denounced the ruling as illegal and politically motivated and said Armenia’s current leaders will eventually be held accountable for it. “Judges, investigators and prosecutors must realize that they too will not be forgiven because they are butchers executing orders,” said Levon Zurabian, a leader of the opposition alliance. “We know that Serzh Sarkisian personally decided this verdict.”

“The court carried out an explicit order,” charged Stepan Demirchian, another HAK leader. “That is, they want to keep Nikol Pashinian in prison at any cost.”

The opposition leaders spoke to RFE/RL outside the court building where about a hundred opposition supporters gathered in a show of solidarity with Pashinian. They greeted the verdict with “Shame!” and “Serzhik murderer!” chants. They traded insults and briefly scuffled with riot police guarding the court building.

I was in the vicinity where the demonstrations were held on March 1 adjacent to Yerevan City Hall, arriving around 2:30 pm, shortly after the afternoon clash with police had ended. Pashinian, Aram Sargsyan, Stepan Demirchian and others appeared afterward to address the crowd but separately, closer to 3:00 pm if I am not mistaken. I personally witnessed Pashinian being carried on the shoulders of two guys towards the Miasnikyan statue where people had assembled. None of the leaders there, needless to say, advocated violence during the mass protest. I should also add that people collected in that square (now called Russia Square) via word of mouth after what had happened that morning at Liberty Square where hundreds of peaceful sit-in protesters were uprooted before dawn by force. No opposition leader told people to assemble at Miasnikyan Square, the people just went there on their own. It’s safe to say that Pashinian had nothing to do with the violence that unfolded that evening. He didn’t lead a cry for battle there, he only advocated that people hold their ground peacefully to demand change, that was all.

Indeed, shame on the Armenian judicial system and the Armenian authorities for this hasty, unwarranted sentencing. Pashinian is just a spokesman for citizens who are against a system of governance that they believe to be undemocratic, unjust and corrupt in Armenia. He’s only a threat to the country’s leaders who think that he could possibly organize another movement to topple their command. And he’s just a newspaper editor!

Today’s ruling is the end of another sad chapter in the lack of democracy and justice of the Armenian republic. And I think more than ever, people are either too scared or apathetic to do anything about it.