After September 3, I have many times expressed my concerns that the minimum level of freedom of expression and demonstrations, which Armenia reached starting from approximately 2011, will fall back. Armenia’s authorities, I was thinking, will no longer have “European” commitments and vice versa, will try to be like our “Customs partners.” I would like to be mistaken, but there are some troubling symptoms of it.
Yesterday, 27 people were apprehended at the Public Services Regulatory Commission, 3 of them ended up in the hospital, a journalist was hit. The citizens’ protest was peaceful, they did not hurt anyone, and no one’s rights were violated. The police actions, therefore, were disproportionate. Judging by the videos, a sadistic pleasure was written on the faces of the people executing this “operation”. Usually, the deputy police chief, Valerie Osipyan, conducts quite a friendly talk with the protesters, but not this time. The police acted extremely unprofessional.
The police in the countries like ours need to understand that when they attack on civilians “excitedly”, minutes after the attack, the videos made from different angles would appear on the internet. And there are two options here. Either to “shut down” the Internet, which you cannot do it in Armenia, as well as in Russia and even in Belarus or Kazakhstan, mot so much technically, as the so-called “politically.” Or to act in a way that you can answer if not in the court (unfortunately, we do not have such courts), then before the public. You can no longer keep the violence against people in secret.
However, attempts are made in Russia to restrict the Internet. The State Duma has passed a law, according to which 5 years imprisonment is imposed to those who posts an extremist text in social network. The same punishment is administered to those who gives a like to this text or shares it. First, it is not clear which text can be considered extremist. For me, for example, these are the texts recited over the the Russian federal TV channels regarding the events in Ukraine. But, the matter, probably, is more about the texts that sound unpleasant to the ear of the “tsar”.
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More ridiculous, of course, is bearing responsibility for “liking” and “sharing” the “extremist” articles. And what if the man’s finger accidentally clicks on any “wrong” button?
I would recommend, however, not to click on “like” to my article.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
