“It is clear that Vartan Oskanian, as opposed to me, is protected by the mandate, I am in a harder position, since I have no parliamentary immunity. Why are you surprised that Vartan Oskanian is under pressure?” Hmayak Hovhannisyan, the president of the Union of Political Scientists, commented in this manner on the latest developments concerning the Civilitas Foundation during a conversation with www.aravot.am today.
According to him, although he was also elected a member of the National Assembly, but being nonpartisan, he was so unprotected that he was taken off the list, when he had already been elected, there were 3 charges made against him along with that, which is an indication. “They brought three charges against me and only one against Oskanian. Taking into account that he is an MP, he is still involved as a witness. I can tell you one thing – nonpartisans are the most unprotected in this country. They trespassed on my property, they blocked my entrance into the office, they organized provocations. Those same people who committed those crimes have filed a petition in the court demanding 4 million dollars based on two charges and one is a criminal charge as if I have hit some women, as if I have broken that Senik Julhakyan’s hand. They robbed my car, a criminal case was opened, they haven’t found the offenders so far. They have brought three charges against me, what one can talk about?”
In response to our question whether one could say that pressure on the PAP had already started, Hmayak Hovhannisyan didn’t agree that it was specifically related to the PAP, “I don’t know whether they have started against the PAP, but those people who ventured to criticize the regime, no matter what party they are members of, are put under pressure. I for one am nonpartisan, I am not in any
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party’s team. My fault was that I ventured to make civic proposals, now they try to repress me because of that just in the manner of 1937. My grandfather died in 1937 based on the same false denunciations. They use the same mechanisms of denunciation in 21st century, a false denunciation that cannot be proved by anything. You know what, if a man is given money and told to sell his vote and he sells, he falsifies a document for money, what prevents him from giving a false testimony for money? Those same people who are brought to the polling stations and vote for money, those same people give false testimonies, have brought charges against me. They want to rob the Union of Political Scientists.”
In response to our question whether Vartan Oskanian would fall silent after such pressure, in his opinion, whether he would be more cautious while criticizing, Hmayak Hovhannisyan said that he couldn’t make suggestions. He can only say that he is more unprotected than Oskanian, “I am telling you as a political scientist that according to the international data the number of party members accounts for 3% of the population in all countries around the world. When they say 100 thousand, 150 thousand, it is an absolute lie, there are no more than 30 thousand party members in our country, the rest are nonpartisans and less protected. There were even persecutions against a candidate for MP, i.e. me, when I was a candidate, during the election campaign.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
