INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO NATIONAL MOTIVES OF DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN GRAVES IN SOCHI

PanArmenian News Network
Aug 4 2005

04.08.2005 02:40

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I see no national component in the incident taken
place at the village cemetery July 29, 2005,” stated head of the
Baranovsky village district of Sochi city Ardavazd Peklivanyan at a
joint news conference with the Sochi Administration, law-enforcement
bodies and representatives of the Sochi branch of all-Russian NGO
Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR). As the Yerkramas newspaper of
Armenians of Russia reported referring to the Sochi Department
of Internal Affairs, Khosta district Administration Chief Igor
Seleznyov, Deputy Head of the Section of Internal Affairs of Khosta
district of Sochi, Criminal Police Chief, colonel Aleksandr Zhukov,
Chairman of the UAR Central District of Sochi branch Stepan Kagosyan,
Chairman of the UAR Khosta district of Sochi branch Oganes Chepnyan.
In the course of the news conference I. Seleznyov described the
circumstances of the event and evaluated it, saying, “29 gravestones
are destroyed at the cemetery of Verkhny Yurt village. Those, who
committed something of the king, have lost their human face. Things
like that should be punished. When they are found, they will be
shown on the local TV – Sochi residents should know these rogues
in the face.” He also said a special commission is formed to follow
the situation. No family, whose relatives’ monuments were destroyed,
will remain without attention. Assistance will be provided to them.
Aleksandr Zhukov informed those present about the investigation
course, “Practice shows most of crimes of the kind are committed
having hooligan motives. The criminals represent a group of minors or
young people as a rule. We have experience in revealing such crimes.
A similar one was committed this April at the Central district
cemetery. Those guilty are already charged at present. Proceedings
are instituted on the article 244 of the Criminal Code of the Russian
Federation. Police are now gathering information.” Mr. Zhukov also
noted that the Khosta Regional Section of Internal Affairs personnel
are involved in the search for the criminals. He emphasized that
the investigation revealed no national motives of the occurrence –
the cemetery is an ancient one, gravestones of not only Armenians,
but also Russians are demolished there. The word “schizophrenia”
written on the tombstones also evidences it. The investigators now
consider several versions. However two of these are the basic ones:
the crime was committed either by persons with mental disorder or
those with hooligan motives. When answering journalists’ question
A. Peklivanyan noted people of diverse nationalities and faith are
buried at the cemetery. He stated he did not see any indication of
national manifestation in the incident either. He also addressed the
families of the victims, asking to patiently wait for the outcomes
of the investigation. Mr. Peklivanyan also addressed the media,
asking not to use the incident to sow discord. Concluding his speech,
he said material assistance and moral support will be provided to
the families. S. Kagosyan and O. Chepnyan joined his request. They
also noted they do not see any nationalist signs in the incident and
promised support in restoration of the destroyed gravestones. “The
criminal does not have either a faith or nationality. Those, who
committed this crime should be correspondingly punished,” stated S.
Kagosyan. At the end of the news conference A. Zhukov addressed Sochi
residents, asking to report any information on the crime. The Sochi
Police will do its best to identify the criminals, he assured. It
should be reminded that unknown persons destroyed 29 gravestones at
a cemetery 5km away from Verkhny Yurt village of Khosta district of
Sochi. As we have reported earlier, most graves (28 out of the 29
according to the data available) belong to Armenians.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress