This hackneyed expression is the best to characterize the dynamics of violence against activists in our country.
The number of physical violence against the participants in various protests, also those who make non-government-pleasing posts in social networks and the civil society activists, as well as the techniques of performance are gradually developing. We have already lost the number of such cases, alas there are almost no disclosures. The last case was the beating up of Vilen Gabrielyan, known as “Navak Chochogh” (“Boat Shaker”). In the evening of January 17, unknown people in masks attacked and beat him up with batons. Does anybody doubt that the perpetrators will not be identified? Many previously undisclosed cases make us not even hope that those attaching with a baton at a naked person will be identified and brought to responsibility.
Instead, we can say for sure that the subsequent undisclosed case is going to create a fertile ground for new acts of violence. The attack at Vilen Gabrielyan was the first one in this year. However, in December, the cases of attack and beating up “by unknown persons” were unprecedentedly many. On December 9 and 10, war veterans were beat up: the great activist in various political and civil actions Suren Sargsyan, Manvel Yeghiazaryan and Razmik Petrosyan. On December 11, at the entrance of his house, ANC faction secretary Aram Manukyan was beat up.
On December 20, the civil activist Vaghinak Shushanyan was beaten up. November month did not pass without incidents too. “Pre-parliamentary” member Gevorg Safaryan was beaten; the cars of another six members of the same organization or support members were burned. However, the hope for finding the perpetrators is ultimately dying when in response to the doubts that the clients of these beatings are the authorities, particularly in the upper circles of the police, the deputy chief of police announces, “I have nothing to feel constraint, if someone in this country would say anything bad against the president in my presence, I will cut off his ears like it is done with the whelps.”
Read also
This “self-confession” in normal countries would be followed by the resignation of the official, whereas no such expectation exists in our country. In this case, I sadly realize that the cases are not disclosed as a result of lack of talent of our policemen, but simply due to the lack of desire to disclose them. The year of 2013 was abundant in beatings of civil activists. So abundant that in the end of September 2013, the police had issued a statement that “Recently civil society activists were widely asserted to have been subjected to violence and battery by unidentified persons and simultaneously The Police was accused of showing inactivity in disclosing those criminal acts. Those accusations are groundless and don’t correspond to the reality. Immediately after the incidents a number of operational, search and investigative measures were taken, examinations were assigned, eyewitnesses were detected and interviewed, a careful study of video recordings was made. The investigation of cases of violence against the civil society activists is immediately under the control of Police chief, a daily report on the investigation process is made.” But no word about the disclosures. In September 4, 2013, civil activists Haykak Arshamyan amd Suren Saghatelyan were beated by such “unknown persons”. One year and three months was not enough to identify those who committed these acts of violence in the event when there are so many cameras around, and it did not require great talent to identify the case within short period of time and bring the perpetrators to responsibility. But what are we talking about, when it was last year since they had last conducted an operation on this case.
In the conversation with “Aravot”, Haykak Arshamyan told, “We have met with the investigator last year, in early January. It has been more than a year since we do not have any information about this case. We do not even know whether this case was closed, dismissed or temporarily “frozen”…”. To our question that if the case was dismissed during this one year, they were obligated to inform you, Mr. Arshamyan replied “Yes, they are obligated to inform in writing about the situation. But, it’s more than a year, no news. Some rumors reached me long ago that the case will be closed, but I do not know what has happened. The investigator, who was investigating the case, has been moved from Kentron district to Shengavit district.”
To our question of whether at least they were pretending to do something trying to disclose, H. Arshamyan replied, “Last time, it was in January 2014 when we went to the police to make clarifications on the testimony, comparison of blood tests, we signed some documents, some information about the fingerprints that there is a third party’s fingerprints on the car…” We inquired to know whether non-disclosure of similar cases is the reason that new cases of violence are recorded, Mr. Arshamyan agreed, “Absolutely. As long as such political persecution and acts of violence are not disclosed, it means that they are backed by the government authorities. Such primitive beating in the city center, made in the presence of numerous cameras and not yet disclosed, prove that the police with its inaction sponsors the doers, if not, cooperates.” He also jokingly said that the criminals have been perfected over one year. “If they attack us unarmed, and the only veil was the darkness, then Vilen Gabrielyan was attacked with batons and in masks. Even to the best of my knowledge, Vilen’s assailants were dressed in similar clothes, almost in a uniform, in inflated semi-coats. Hence, there is a progress in that sense. They are working, the technologies develop”. And hiding the faces under darkness or masks, according to H. Arshamyan, pursues a clear goal. “They know that sooner or later the government will change so that to serve the successor with a clear conscience.”
Melania BARSEGHYAN
