Address by the Wife of Political Prisoner Narek Samsonyan to EU Ambassador Vassilis Maragos
The political prisoner Narek Samsonyan’s wife publicly addressed to the EU Ambassador Vassilis Maragos. The footage of the address as well as the text on paper will be handed over to the EU headquarter in Yerevan by the Antifake.am editorial staff.
Honorable Ambassador Vassilis Maragos,
I stand before you as the wife of political prisoner Narek Samsonyan. For the second time, my husband is imprisoned in my own country for the sole reason of criticizing the authorities of the Republic of Armenia and for holding opposition views.
Read also
Following an episode of their “Imnemnimi” podcast, where they hosted the third President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, MPs from the ruling “Civil Contract” party and other government representatives began posting insulting comments on social media targeting my husband and the podcast’s co-author and co-host, Vazgen Saghatelyan. Infuriated by the broadcast with the third President, government representatives targeted Narek and Vazgen for several days. Naturally, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, was no exception.
In a sordid post, the Speaker referred to my husband and Vazgen as “sons of bitches.” He received an incomparably mild response in the subsequent episode of “Imnemnimi.” They did not use profanity (even though insult has been decriminalized in Armenia); my husband simply used the word “buttocks” in his remarks addressed to Simonyan. However, law enforcement authorities perceived the elements of a crime in the use of this word. Based on a complaint by the Speaker of the National Assembly, masked officers from the NSS “Alpha” squad raided our house the very next day. They searched our house, and although my husband offered no resistance and complied with all law enforcement demands, they twisted his arms in front of me and our two young daughters—using methods favored by Pashinyan—and took him into custody.
At the same hour and in the same manner, a search was conducted at Vazgen Saghatelyan’s house, and he was also arrested. The National Security Service also raided the office of the “AntiFake” media outlet. As a result, they confiscated all equipment, effectively depriving the news outlet of the ability to continue its operations. They seized every computer, every microphone (working or not), all cameras, tripods, microphone stands, filming drones, power banks, memory cards, batteries, charging cables, live streaming equipment, sound mixers, and even the DVR for the office security cameras. Their sole objective was to inflict direct material damage upon us.
While on the previous occasion the authorities limited themselves to imprisoning my husband and Vazgen, this time the “AntiFake” platform itself was a direct target of the authorities. A journalist and a cameraman were also groundlessly detained, allegedly for obstructing the administration of justice. Journalist Davit Fidanyan was detained for 60 hours, while cameraman Ishkhan Khosrovyan was released the same day.
Fortunately, supporters quickly stepped in to purchase the necessary equipment with their own funds, and the media outlet was able to resume its activities—albeit not at full capacity, as it remains a target of the authorities.
I have been forced to become a public figure because these authorities have imprisoned my husband for the second time for exercising his right to free speech, and I must now speak on his behalf. This is not my choice. It is you who have forced me to speak through your silence and your policy of turning a blind eye to the illegal and anti-democratic processes taking place in our country. I should be at home right now raising my children, but instead, I am in this studio recording this video appeal addressed to you.
Through your silence, you demonstrate that the existence of political prisoners in the Republic of Armenia is merely a tool for you to either support or pressure the government of the day, and nothing more. Otherwise, it would be impossible for you not to see the illegal trials taking place in Armenia and the political and public figures who have ended up in prison without grounds—individuals whose only “crime” is opposing these authorities and loving Armenia. The cases fabricated against political prisoners have no legal basis. Currently, over sixty politically persecuted individuals are in Armenian prisons, under house arrest, or under administrative control, and the regime spares no effort or energy to silence them.
My husband meets all the criteria for being considered a political prisoner as defined by PACE Resolution 1900. I will specify a few points with examples:
“A person deprived of his or her personal liberty is to be regarded as a ‘political prisoner’:
a. if the detention has been imposed in violation of one of the fundamental guarantees set out in the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols (ECHR), in particular freedom of expression and information;”
My husband and Vazgen created the most successful political podcast with a vast audience, which is the reason they were isolated, and why the media outlet’s entire inventory of equipment was confiscated—to disrupt the operations of the AntiFake platform.
“b. if the detention has been imposed for purely political reasons without connection to any offence;”
Let me remind you that my husband is imprisoned for using the word “buttocks.” If anyone can prove that the word “buttocks” constitutes a crime in any European country, I will personally tell my husband to admit guilt.
“d. if, for political motives, he or she is detained in a discriminatory manner as compared to other persons; or,”
The entire internet is awash with the most vulgar vocabulary, curses, and obscenities coming from government representatives; profanity is used in films, on social media, and in other podcasts, yet no one else is prosecuted.
I also want to remind you of Resolution 1609, authored by John Prescott, regarding the events of March 1, 2008. Back then, demands were made of the Armenian authorities to release participants in mass disorders. Yet today, you remain silent about public figures imprisoned for two months for uttering the word “buttocks” during a YouTube podcast. Is inciting mass disorders a human right, while criticizing a government official is considered hooliganism?
I read the message on the official website of the EU Delegation stating that you will work to improve the quality of life for Armenian citizens and support the implementation of democratic reforms. Is the authorities’ modus operandi of silencing opponents what you consider democratic reform? Does this truly improve the quality of life for the citizens of Armenia?
I await your response with high expectations. Should a public response not be possible, I expect a meeting with you in a private, off-the-record setting, in order to present the case to you in greater detail and to receive the answers I am seeking. After all, the Armenian society is also witnessing your silence.
Try hard to see the elephant in the room.
Sincerely,
Lusine Arakelyan, the wife of political prisoner Narek Samsonyan
AntiFake
