“Why should they be convicted?”, fans of “Sasna Tsrer” raised the question in front of the First Instance Court of Erebuni and Nubarashen. Why shouldn’t they? Are there countries that do not convict people for occupying buildings, holding hostages, burning cars, and committing other crimes. Is there any country that does not have such articles in its Criminal Code? (I’m not talking about police murders, because not everyone can be charged of those, there are specific transgressors).
Now, if I take a stone and start breaking windows, may I say that it is not for my personal interests, that I’m rebelling, therefore there must be written another Criminal Code for me, according to which I will not be convicted? Because the authorities are bad, the courts are biased, and the country is in a horrible state. I think there are two possibilities: either to convict all window-breakers, or to create “revcoms” where gunners will come to their trial, based on the “revolutionary necessity”.
Might the history ever justify “Sasna Tsrer”? Of course, it might, it has justified worse riots. Even statues of the “Tsrer” might be set up, and pioneers might solemnly vow in front of them. But I’m not a historian. I am a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, who currently lives, has lived, will live, and will die here. I want the state bodies, including the courts, to operate in my state, and not “revcoms” of “hero guys” decide whom to kill, what to burn, and what building to occupy. If these “guys” are permitted to act so, then later other “guys” will replace them with more powerful weapons, then even more powerful “guys”, and this chain will continue. If earlier we took advantage of “hero guy” Surat Huseynov’s “riot”, then why can’t the enemy do the same?
Maybe the murderers of “Dro” group or Nairi Hunanyan and his accomplices also should not have been convicted? Had they taken those steps for personal interests? Did they lack of “ideological excuses”? Were the courts more independent then? Or was the state in a better condition?
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
