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Impunity generates permissiveness

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  • Impunity generates permissiveness

    Impunity generates permissiveness

    January 27 2015


    This hackneyed expression is the best to characterize the dynamics of
    violence against activists in our country. The number of physical
    violence against the participants in various protests, also those who
    make non-government-pleasing posts in social networks and the civil
    society activists, as well as the techniques of performance are
    gradually developing. We have already lost the number of such cases,
    alas there are almost no disclosures. The last case was the beating up
    of Vilen Gabrielyan, known as "Navak Chochogh" ("Boat Shaker"). In the
    evening of January 17, unknown people in masks attacked and beat him
    up with batons. Does anybody doubt that the perpetrators will not be
    identified? Many previously undisclosed cases make us not even hope
    that those attaching with a baton at a naked person will be identified
    and brought to responsibility. Instead, we can say for sure that the
    subsequent undisclosed case is going to create a fertile ground for
    new acts of violence. The attack at Vilen Gabrielyan was the first one
    in this year. However, in December, the cases of attack and beating up
    "by unknown persons" were unprecedentedly many. On December 9 and 10,
    war veterans were beat up: the great activist in various political and
    civil actions Suren Sargsyan, Manvel Yeghiazaryan and Razmik
    Petrosyan. On December 11, at the entrance of his house, ANC faction
    secretary Aram Manukyan was beat up. On December 20, the civil
    activist Vaghinak Shushanyan was beaten up. November month did not
    pass without incidents too. "Pre-parliamentary" member Gevorg Safaryan
    was beaten; the cars of another six members of the same organization
    or support members were burned. However, the hope for finding the
    perpetrators is ultimately dying when in response to the doubts that
    the clients of these beatings are the authorities, particularly in the
    upper circles of the police, the deputy chief of police announces, "I
    have nothing to feel constraint, if someone in this country would say
    anything bad against the president in my presence, I will cut off his
    ears like it is done with the whelps." This "self-confession" in
    normal countries would be followed by the resignation of the official,
    whereas no such expectation exists in our country. In this case, I
    sadly realize that the cases are not disclosed as a result of lack of
    talent of our policemen, but simply due to the lack of desire to
    disclose them. The year of 2013 was abundant in beatings of civil
    activists. So abundant that in the end of September 2013, the police
    had issued a statement that "Recently civil society activists were
    widely asserted to have been subjected to violence and battery by
    unidentified persons and simultaneously The Police was accused of
    showing inactivity in disclosing those criminal acts. Those
    accusations are groundless and don't correspond to the reality.
    Immediately after the incidents a number of operational, search and
    investigative measures were taken, examinations were assigned,
    eyewitnesses were detected and interviewed, a careful study of video
    recordings was made. The investigation of cases of violence against
    the civil society activists is immediately under the control of Police
    chief, a daily report on the investigation process is made." But no
    word about the disclosures. In September 4, 2013, civil activists
    Haykak Arshamyan amd Suren Saghatelyan were beated by such "unknown
    persons". One year and three months was not enough to identify those
    who committed these acts of violence in the event when there are so
    many cameras around, and it did not require great talent to identify
    the case within short period of time and bring the perpetrators to
    responsibility. But what are we talking about, when it was last year
    since they had last conducted an operation on this case. In the
    conversation with "Aravot", Haykak Arshamyan told, "We have met with
    the investigator last year, in early January. It has been more than a
    year since we do not have any information about this case. We do not
    even know whether this case was closed, dismissed or temporarily
    "frozen"...". To our question that if the case was dismissed during this
    one year, they were obligated to inform you, Mr. Arshamyan replied
    "Yes, they are obligated to inform in writing about the situation.
    But, it's more than a year, no news. Some rumors reached me long ago
    that the case will be closed, but I do not know what has happened. The
    investigator, who was investigating the case, has been moved from
    Kentron district to Shengavit district." To our question of whether at
    least they were pretending to do something trying to disclose, H.
    Arshamyan replied, "Last time, it was in January 2014 when we went to
    the police to make clarifications on the testimony, comparison of
    blood tests, we signed some documents, some information about the
    fingerprints that there is a third party's fingerprints on the car..."
    We inquired to know whether non-disclosure of similar cases is the
    reason that new cases of violence are recorded, Mr. Arshamyan agreed,
    "Absolutely. As long as such political persecution and acts of
    violence are not disclosed, it means that they are backed by the
    government authorities. Such primitive beating in the city center,
    made in the presence of numerous cameras and not yet disclosed, prove
    that the police with its inaction sponsors the doers, if not,
    cooperates." He also jokingly said that the criminals have been
    perfected over one year. "If they attack us unarmed, and the only veil
    was the darkness, then Vilen Gabrielyan was attacked with batons and
    in masks. Even to the best of my knowledge, Vilen's assailants were
    dressed in similar clothes, almost in a uniform, in inflated
    semi-coats. Hence, there is a progress in that sense. They are
    working, the technologies develop". And hiding the faces under
    darkness or masks, according to H. Arshamyan, pursues a clear goal.
    "They know that sooner or later the government will change so that to
    serve the successor with a clear conscience."


    Melania BARSEGHYAN
    Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2015/01/27/168558/

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