I will leave aside the cynics who know perfectly well what is going on but—with foam at their mouths—try to prove that all serious critics of the government are either enemies of the state and its sovereignty, or corrupt officials, or people who have committed some other crime and therefore deserve to rot in prison. There are such cynics among members of parliament, NGO activists, “human rights defenders,” and “political analysts.” Their personal interest in this is obvious.
But there are also ordinary citizens who sincerely rejoice at political persecutions and at the violence carried out by the police—even though ten years ago they were just as sincerely outraged by such things. What has happened to these people? Have they changed? Have they become more cruel and intolerant over the past decade? Perhaps they now believe that the principles of humanity, justice, and democracy apply only in certain cases and not in others. Most likely, both are true—or more precisely, the latter is a consequence of the former.
People must be convinced that these principles are absolute, universal, and apply to everyone without exception. Otherwise, the divisions within society will never be healed. Hearts have grown so hardened that not only arrests, but even deaths—such as that of Tigran Keosayan—provoke joy. Some even express satisfaction that our compatriots are being tortured in Baku. How many generations will it take to overcome such deep-rooted hatred?
Of course, the signals come from those in power. It is well known that dogs, when gnawing on their allotted bone, will instinctively bark at any passerby, fearing that the bone might be taken from them. They do not realize that tomorrow there will be other dogs and other bones.
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… When Pashinyan leaves office and today’s rulers begin to be persecuted—most likely more harshly than today’s “former” ones—most of those who now beat their chests in defense of the Civil Contract Party will vanish from the stage (as past experience has shown). Can you guess who will defend them then?
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
