In the recent press conference, when presenting their scientific research work on civil society, Chairman of International Humanitarian Development NGO Arman Ghukasyan announced that there should be a state-level control over the NGOs. He said that there are dozens of organizations that are funded by the EU and the US, they receive a large amount of grants and are willing to carry out a revolution in Armenia. As to which are the NGOs that are implementing activities addressed to the interests of Armenia, according to them, some of these are in particular the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, the Women’s Resource Center, the “New Generation” Humanitarian NGO and so on.
In this regard, in the interview with Aravot.am, the Head of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office Arthur Sakunts said, “I do not accept this organization seriously. Much more serious is the organization standing behind them, which being a Russian organization, and, also in my subjective opinion, is the representative of the Russian state structure, FSB. Hence, it was more about the Russian political circles, about the expression of direct point of view by the Kremlin, via local NGO channels. It fully fits into the trends of the Russian reality that is expressed by the adoption of the law on Foreign Agents and recognizing a number of human rights organizations international, to carry out a prosecution against them – illegal searches, with a threat to close up the activities of these organizations. Thus, I totally see it in this context.”
Whether or not their organization is working against the RA national state interests, Arthur Sakunts said that if there are sufficient grounds on this matter, then the National Security Service should deal with it. Otherwise, it can be considered an opinion by someone who has nothing to do with the reality. “All our financial resources are public, we have nothing to hide unlike the users from the Russian channels, whose neither the origin nor the financial resources are known. I consider this a direct threat of the Russian security services and their political circles against already functioning human rights organizations in Armenia and the activities thereof.”
As for the color revolution, Arthur Sakunts announced, “If I have the chance, I will definitely do it because the color revolutions are the way, which implement a quality change in the government activities when the government puts itself beyond the law. Our activities are aimed at the establishment of legitimacy and demanding the government authorities to fully comply with the principles of the RA Constitution, as well as the international norms endorsed by Armenia. If it is considered to be a color revolution, we reaffirm that the RA and RF authorities are operating in a non-legal field. This legal filed, which is now formed in Russia, is totally illegal by its content, and now they are trying to create a similar situation in Armenia.” He said that if the government is operating in an anti-legal field, then it is necessary to have an appeal of its activities, which is called a color revolution for many people, but definitely is an action aimed at fitting the government within the legal field. “Thus, those who are illegal, they are terrifying.”
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Hripsime JEBEJYAN
Photo by Vardine GRIGORYAN
