HRANUSH KHARATYAN: CERTAIN INTOLERANCE AGAINST ARMENIANS IS BEING SHAPED
By Gohar Gevorgian

AZG Armenian Daily
17/11/2006

15-Year-old Narek Kocharian Killed in Moscow Last Saturday

On November 11, Saturday, Narek Kocharian, 15, was murdered near the
railway station of Ivanteevka town, Pushkin region, Moscow. The young
man was brutally beaten and stabbed with knife for many times.

According to the information rendered by the Union of Armenians of
Russia, the murderers tried to hang or throttle the victim. Besides
a scarf with a "jolly roger" was found near the body prove that the
murderers belonged to the Fascist groups. The Public Prosecutor’s
Office of Ivanteevka has opened investigation into the case.

The frequent cases of murdering of the Armenians aroused the
indignation and concern of the Armenian intelligentsia members. On
November 15, they held a press conference at "Hayeli" club and
discussed the problem.

Levon Ananyan, chairman of RA Writers’ Union, stated that the chain of
murders is endless. He added that they are caused by xenophobia that
is blooming in Russian society, besides, quite an obvious political
order. Ananyan said that there are only two countries in the world,
where Armenians are being killed: Azerbaijan and Russia. Ananyan is
sure that diplomatic circles and intelligentsia members should be
involved in the settlement of the issue. "What does or embassy in
Russia do? Our states also keep silent," he underscored.

In his turn, arts critic Henrik Igitian said Russia doesn’t treat
seriously its own embassy in Armenia.

"The murders are committed and they get no response.

RA Government, RA Foreign Ministry and RA Embassy in Russia should
deal with this issue. We shouldn’t cease our relations with Russia,
but our authorities should touch upon the issue very roughly when
meeting with Putin," Igitian said.

Hranush Kharatian, ethnologist, head of National Minorities
and Religious Issues department at RA Government, said that the
anti-Armenian murders are not only Armenia’s but also Russia’s concern,
as Russia contributes to deepening and spreading of such killings
by characterizing them as criminal cases. "I can see that these is
a political program. Certain intolerance is being shaped against the
Armenians, but not at ethnic level," Kharatyan emphasized.

Professor Hayk Ghazarian, doctor of history, condemned our state that
made 2 millions of Armenians find shelter in Russia. He added that the
Slavonic nations had woken up and carry out the policy of Pan-Slavonism
without respecting other nations. Theatre director Armen Mazmanian
said that we should definitely struggle against this phenomenon,
at the same time, adding that there are wealthy Armenians that can
built an entire city in Russia, adding that none would stand such a
behavior of a stranger in their home city or country. "You shouldn’t
be in Russia, take your millions, get back, take a village in Lachin
and become princes there," he said. In response Mrs.

Kharatyan said that only the victims of the Nazi Russia should come
back and die from starving in Armenia.

Anyway, the intelligentsia members stated that we shouldn’t fear from
Russia, although, they took into account the fact that we depend of
Russia in certain aspects.