Recently, discussing the Gyumri massacre at the CRU session, they came to the conclusion that the clashes in Gyumri are organized by the circles known for their provocative activities and serving the Western interests. According to CRU, they have tried to organize riots and attacks on Russia’s diplomatic and military institutions, which led to clashes with police. According to the statement issued by CRU, they are trying to use the “Maidan” technology in Armenia with the help of some mass media financed from abroad, NGOs and the hired groups operating on the internet. Hence, they have decided to come up with recommendations of making amendments in the law on Mass Media and hold discussions.
Moreover, they have decided to raise at the National Assembly the issues of transparency of financial sources and the work of NGOs and suggest to bring those who incite inter-ethnic hostility in the mass media and on the internet to responsibility. In this regard, in the conversation with Aravot.am, the Heritage party board member Anahit Bakhshyan expressed concern that the Russian government authorities are using this to bring the NGOs under its control. “It’s extremely dangerous in the framework of the vision for having civil society. This is a very wrong and dangerous initiative. It seems as if our people were waiting for an opportunity to raise this issue again. Every time, they raise this issue, bur no success, now, this is used again, shame on them.”
Note that the Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin had stated that it is necessary to neutralize the Armenia- based NGOs, which, in his opinion, want to enter a wedge into the Russian-Armenian relations.” According to Anahit Bakhshyan, “The fact that now Russia is referring to an American handwriting with regard to the slaughter in Gyumri, it seems that thus it is prompting and guiding our people to go and do it so that to be able to control over the NGOs, too. Like in authoritarian Azerbaijan, they want to control over the entire Internet so that to destroy the seeds of civil society too, if any. This is very dangerous, and our civil society should prevent it.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
