“I think this picture has nothing to do with political pressure”, so responded ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan, in response to the question of Aravot.am of whether according to the UN report that the number of RA citizens asking for political asylum in European has been increased in 2014 compared to 2014 is associated with the pressures exerted by the government authorities against the political dissidents. Note that according to the UN report, 5,242 people from Armenia have applied for a political asylum in 44 European countries in 2014 as compared with 4,841 in 2013. Whereas the indicators of the neighboring country Azerbaijan are lower. In 2014, the number of Azerbaijanis seeking political asylum in Europe amounted to 2,617, and 2,437 – in 2013.
In Hranush Kharatyan’s opinion, even one or two percent of people asking for political asylum does not leave for real political reasons. “It is clear that they are leaving for different reasons – the total injustice in the country, moral decline and other reasons. It is another issue that the option of asking for political asylum seems to be more pleasant and convenient to them. This picture is actually one of the manifestations of our general emigration.” Hranush Kharatyan does not exclude the possibility that people from Syria, Iraq and also a number of people appeared in Armenia due to military situation ask for political asylum in Europe. According to the ethnographer, no research was planned to be carried out in our country to get the true picture drawn from these data.
To our question of what is the reason that less number of Azerbaijani ask for political asylum in Europe than Armenians, while it is constantly spoken that Azerbaijan is in a bad shape in terms of freedom of expression and tolerance, Mrs. Kharatyan said, “No matter how Europe is notable for freedom, it is a Christian, and even in the judicial processes related to Islamic countries, they sometimes give political solutions. If Europe is a temptation for the Islamic people, however, there are problems in different dimensions. On the other hand, Azerbaijanis go to Europe from Turkey.” Hranush Kharatyan believes that “the politicians waging a true political struggle do not leave Azerbaijan and Armenia for other country and ask for political asylum, they stay in their country to solve problems rather than fleeing.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
