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One Can Call the Government `Stupid, Devouring, Murderer, Thief' at a Rally
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/04/28/64759/
April 28, 2012 18:34
Hrant Bagratyan advised residents of Martuni during a rally of the
Armenian National Congress (ANC), `When Serzh comes, take your shoe
off and throw it at him, they did the same to Bush.' Levon
Ter-Petrossian called the government `stupid,' saying that they had
been stupid already, going to restaurants and not sleeping they became
more stupid. These people devour, they are thieves and bandits etc. In
this regard, during a conversation with www.aravot.am, Karen
Andreasyan, the Human Rights Defender, responding to our question
whether the discretion of the opposition that had been assessing and
labeling the government quite severely wasn't to be limited, whether
everything was acceptable during election campaign, said, `Election
campaign has its rules. I myself, as a human being, am against every
kind of extreme labeling and politically incorrect expressions.
However, at the end of the day, they should be very tolerant to every
idea and every thought expressed during the election campaign, because
I think it is acceptable and according to the logic of the freedom of
speech, if it is within the limits of the freedom of speech that
doesn't instigate people to disrupt the constitutional order, doesn't
instigate to crime, hatred, unlawful actions and violence. Election
campaign has clear rules stipulated by the Electoral Code and I don't
think that severe labeling is banned in them.' We tried to get a
clarification whether one couldn't say that they aroused hatred among
people, when they said, `Serzh Sargsyan is a murderer,' the Ombudsman
responded that `if there was an instigation to kill or stone someone
who is not good, one should use violence against him and those are
really instigating words, the European Court itself says that if one
instigates in the way that really threatens others, only then it can
be limited. At the same time, if someone libels or offends anyone, it
is good that the current Civil Code offers an opportunity to protect
the one libeled and offended, but only according to the logic of not
demanding large sums.'
This year, Karen Andreasyan, considering all the alerts that are there
and the publications in the press, expects a better election,
nonetheless, `We see progress in certain fields. We see decrease in
violations. I don't say that we expect a perfect election, but
probably better than the previous ones. At the same time, one is
afraid to make such an assessment, because there can be a surprise at
any moment. The whole voting process may be normal and at the end
there is an unpleasant surprise that spoils the whole picture.
However, the process raises hopes.'
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/04/28/64759/
April 28, 2012 18:34
Hrant Bagratyan advised residents of Martuni during a rally of the
Armenian National Congress (ANC), `When Serzh comes, take your shoe
off and throw it at him, they did the same to Bush.' Levon
Ter-Petrossian called the government `stupid,' saying that they had
been stupid already, going to restaurants and not sleeping they became
more stupid. These people devour, they are thieves and bandits etc. In
this regard, during a conversation with www.aravot.am, Karen
Andreasyan, the Human Rights Defender, responding to our question
whether the discretion of the opposition that had been assessing and
labeling the government quite severely wasn't to be limited, whether
everything was acceptable during election campaign, said, `Election
campaign has its rules. I myself, as a human being, am against every
kind of extreme labeling and politically incorrect expressions.
However, at the end of the day, they should be very tolerant to every
idea and every thought expressed during the election campaign, because
I think it is acceptable and according to the logic of the freedom of
speech, if it is within the limits of the freedom of speech that
doesn't instigate people to disrupt the constitutional order, doesn't
instigate to crime, hatred, unlawful actions and violence. Election
campaign has clear rules stipulated by the Electoral Code and I don't
think that severe labeling is banned in them.' We tried to get a
clarification whether one couldn't say that they aroused hatred among
people, when they said, `Serzh Sargsyan is a murderer,' the Ombudsman
responded that `if there was an instigation to kill or stone someone
who is not good, one should use violence against him and those are
really instigating words, the European Court itself says that if one
instigates in the way that really threatens others, only then it can
be limited. At the same time, if someone libels or offends anyone, it
is good that the current Civil Code offers an opportunity to protect
the one libeled and offended, but only according to the logic of not
demanding large sums.'
This year, Karen Andreasyan, considering all the alerts that are there
and the publications in the press, expects a better election,
nonetheless, `We see progress in certain fields. We see decrease in
violations. I don't say that we expect a perfect election, but
probably better than the previous ones. At the same time, one is
afraid to make such an assessment, because there can be a surprise at
any moment. The whole voting process may be normal and at the end
there is an unpleasant surprise that spoils the whole picture.
However, the process raises hopes.'
Hripsime JEBEJYAN