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ACTIVIST OF THE MOVEMENT, "THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT SPEAK THE LOUDLIEST ABOUT IT TODAY."
http://karabakh-open.info/en/societyen/3431-en853
Monday, 25 February 2013 10:42
An interview with Artsakh movement activist, head of the workers' group
in those days Rafayel Gabrielyan who is also known in Stepanakert as
"Mebelnun Rafik".
- Mr. Gabrielyan, when and where did the Movement begin for you?
- It was in 1988. I was the head of the furniture factory in
Stepanakert then when once Arkadi Karapetyan visited me and said that
they needed money to send telegrams and to carry out preparatory
activities. I had enough money as I earned properly and gave it to
them immediately. Many people warned me not to participate in similar
actions as I was a director and they might arrest me at once. I was
never a coward and did not consider all these persuasions. Then we
began to gather signatures. I helped with what I could but tried not to
let myself be spotted. Once in a meeting with Zori Balayan and Silva
Kaputikyan the former suggested founding an organization. It was in
those days that the "Krunk" was set up. To tell the truth I always
preferred acting to holding speeches on the microphone. On February
22, 1988, I chose 35 people from different factories and created
the workers' group. Later we began participating in mass meetings,
making and spreading leaflets, having meetings with high-ranking
officials including Arkadi Volski.
When the Azerbaijanis threw stones at an Armenian bus and turned it
near Khojalu our return action was preventing them from transporting
arms to Shoushi through Stepanakert.
In those years there were quite a lot of traitors among us and it
was their betrayal that frustrated our plans.
- You were under investigation a lot of times, how did you manage
not be caught so long?
- Yes, in those years I was in the centre of the law enforcement
bodies' and the Russian troops' attention. They followed me everywhere
and tried to arrest for different reasons. Once at night they even
wanted to break into our flat. But I tied three bedsheets into a rode,
went down from the 3rd floor and ran away.
Next time they tried to arrest me at a restaurant but there I pretended
to be an invalid and again emerged unscathed.
At that time I moved from village to village and even slept in a
wheat reservoir for a long time.
But in 1991 the Russian troops managed to arrest me. First they took
me to Khojalu, then to Aghdam where they beat me cruelly. Together
with me they arrested also another activist of the Karabakh movement
Hamlet Grigoryan. After beating us they filled our pockets with the
land mixed with our blood and said, "You want land at the cost of your
blood, please take it." After Aghdam we were taken to Shuvelyan prison
in Baku and tortured there for 34 days and then we were transported
to Stepanakert. I do not know up to now who mediated to let us free.
I stayed in hospital for 8 days and then again returned to my work. I
was not healthy enough to go to battle field and mainly took up
organizing sensitive operations.
- You noted that in 1988 quite a lot of people were against the
Karabakh movement. Don't you think it is time to say who they were?
- Today those who were against the movement or were not in Karabkh
at all speak the loudliest about the movement. The real participants
know them but avoid announcing their names each of them having their
own reasons. As for me I prefer to speak about those people who took
an active part in the movement and did not just show off.
Interviewer Qnar Babayan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://karabakh-open.info/en/societyen/3431-en853
Monday, 25 February 2013 10:42
An interview with Artsakh movement activist, head of the workers' group
in those days Rafayel Gabrielyan who is also known in Stepanakert as
"Mebelnun Rafik".
- Mr. Gabrielyan, when and where did the Movement begin for you?
- It was in 1988. I was the head of the furniture factory in
Stepanakert then when once Arkadi Karapetyan visited me and said that
they needed money to send telegrams and to carry out preparatory
activities. I had enough money as I earned properly and gave it to
them immediately. Many people warned me not to participate in similar
actions as I was a director and they might arrest me at once. I was
never a coward and did not consider all these persuasions. Then we
began to gather signatures. I helped with what I could but tried not to
let myself be spotted. Once in a meeting with Zori Balayan and Silva
Kaputikyan the former suggested founding an organization. It was in
those days that the "Krunk" was set up. To tell the truth I always
preferred acting to holding speeches on the microphone. On February
22, 1988, I chose 35 people from different factories and created
the workers' group. Later we began participating in mass meetings,
making and spreading leaflets, having meetings with high-ranking
officials including Arkadi Volski.
When the Azerbaijanis threw stones at an Armenian bus and turned it
near Khojalu our return action was preventing them from transporting
arms to Shoushi through Stepanakert.
In those years there were quite a lot of traitors among us and it
was their betrayal that frustrated our plans.
- You were under investigation a lot of times, how did you manage
not be caught so long?
- Yes, in those years I was in the centre of the law enforcement
bodies' and the Russian troops' attention. They followed me everywhere
and tried to arrest for different reasons. Once at night they even
wanted to break into our flat. But I tied three bedsheets into a rode,
went down from the 3rd floor and ran away.
Next time they tried to arrest me at a restaurant but there I pretended
to be an invalid and again emerged unscathed.
At that time I moved from village to village and even slept in a
wheat reservoir for a long time.
But in 1991 the Russian troops managed to arrest me. First they took
me to Khojalu, then to Aghdam where they beat me cruelly. Together
with me they arrested also another activist of the Karabakh movement
Hamlet Grigoryan. After beating us they filled our pockets with the
land mixed with our blood and said, "You want land at the cost of your
blood, please take it." After Aghdam we were taken to Shuvelyan prison
in Baku and tortured there for 34 days and then we were transported
to Stepanakert. I do not know up to now who mediated to let us free.
I stayed in hospital for 8 days and then again returned to my work. I
was not healthy enough to go to battle field and mainly took up
organizing sensitive operations.
- You noted that in 1988 quite a lot of people were against the
Karabakh movement. Don't you think it is time to say who they were?
- Today those who were against the movement or were not in Karabkh
at all speak the loudliest about the movement. The real participants
know them but avoid announcing their names each of them having their
own reasons. As for me I prefer to speak about those people who took
an active part in the movement and did not just show off.
Interviewer Qnar Babayan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress