AZG Armenian Daily #116, 24/06/2005

People

‘THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO TRY NOT TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR PAST’

Former Prisoner Gevorg Koshkarian Publishes a Newspaper

47-year-old Gevorg Koshkarian spent part of his life in jail. In 2004, after
11 years in prison, he decided to start a new life, to become a full member
of the society. He entered Pedagogical Institute and married a few months
ago. He established a non-profit organization for former convicts and launch
publication of Veradardz (return) magazine.

“I spent many years behind bars. Jail is a tough place. The first fruit of
theft seems sweet but it’s bitter in fact and you feel sorry all your life.
I will not forget my friend telling in jail with tears in his eyes that his
daughter quitted school as children said that her father is a thief”,
Koshkarian wrote in one of the issues.

Why did the former convict decided to publish a paper? “Newspaper is a means
to share your pains. It will help us to cover the issues of former prisoners
and to make the authorities hear their voice. They face dozens of problems
once out of prison”, he says. His magazine and the organization he runs will
try to relieve lives of returnees and of the families the prisoners leave
behind.

“There are children of convicts who do not attend school having no shoes to
wear. Some of them have never been at circus or at children’s theatre.
Thanks to some artists, those children also laugh. All children are born
with equal rights and should enjoy same blessings. A child should not feel
that his parent is temporarily isolated from the society”, Koshkarian says.

Gevorg Koshkarian and a few other returnees live in rooms provided by the
9th school of Vardashen. Koshkarian is thankful to the school headmaster,
prosecutor of Nubarashen, businessman Gurgen Arsenian and all those who help
or even listen to former convicts.

Koshkarian says that he would like to start a business for the returnees.
“We have good building commodities but have no tools. We hope that someone
will lend support to begin production of doors and windows. Now, we bake
bread that goes to several families of prisoners”. Koshkarian is sure that
social condition is the key factor that incites to crime. “If people get
their daily bread, crimes will diminish”, he says.

How does the society receive those returning form jail? “There are people
who feels sorry that you life got distorted, others try not to remind you of
your past and few show hostility. What else should we expect from someone
whose home was burglarized? But a man will easier get changed once forgiven
than constantly reminded of his past”. He points out that there is almost no
innocent person in prison. “There are case when a person should not have
been isolate but simply fined. Should one appear in jail once, it becomes
kind of a habit. Many people feel better in prison”, Koshkarian says.

Editor-in-chief of Veradardz notes with pain that the children of the
imprisoned often break up psychologically. Koshkarian tells with pride that
several well-known people help and cooperate with them. “Head Helsinki
Committee Avetik Ishghanian is kindly working with us and is an honored
member of our organization. Any one may become member of our organization.
You don’t have to visit prison to join the organization”.

By Tatoul Hakobian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress