AN OPEN LETTER FROM COMMITTEE FOR PROTECTION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN ARMENIA

Tert
Oct 19 2009
Armenia

The Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners in Armenia
sent an open letter to United States President Barack Obama, French
President Nikolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The
letter reads:

"Nikol Pashinyan, who voluntarily presented himself to the Prosecutor’s
Office on July 1, 2009, is kept in prison till today without any
basis and presently will be brought before the court under false
accusations for organizing mass disorders.

"Your excellences,

"Hundreds of legal proceedings have taken place in Armenia. You can
be informed about those shameful proceedings from your countries’
ambassadors and competent international organizations.

"The recorded outcome thus far is as follows:

1. So far, no murderer has been brought to account for his actions
before the court, 2. The opposition’s charge against the current
governing leadership for seizing power was dismissed, 3. 30 political
prisoners were released as a result of pressure from the opposition
and international organizations, 4. 17 political prisoners, one of
whom is a French citizen, are still imprisoned, 5. Many innocent
prisoners, who have exhausted all instances for attaining justice
in their own country, attempt to attain justice through the European
Court of Human Rights.

"Your excellences,

"Today, your countries direct their joint efforts toward the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the establishment
of Armenian-Turkish relations; however, by strange coincidence,
your countries’ and international organizations’ pressure on Serzh
Sargsyan’s administration directed to re-establishment of democracy
and release of political prisoners has stopped altogether. This fact
creates grounds for us and a large mass of the Armenian people to
doubt the sincerity of your intentions; it gives the impression that
an unethical deal has taken place and that you turn a blind eye to
gross human rights violations and to obvious violations of democracy
in order to get concessions from Sargsyan’s administration.

"Proceeding from that which was mentioned above, on behalf of Republic
of Armenia citizens, thousands of innocent victims’ relatives,
political prisoners suffering in prisons, and those sufferering from
the regime’s tyranny and political persecution, we ask and demand you
to use your countries’ and your own authority to compel Armenia’s
current leadership to respect the rights and freedoms of their own
citizens."