Impunity generates permissiveness

January 27 2015

This hackneyed expression is the best to characterize the dynamics of
violence against activists in our country. The number of physical
violence against the participants in various protests, also those who
make non-government-pleasing posts in social networks and the civil
society activists, as well as the techniques of performance are
gradually developing. We have already lost the number of such cases,
alas there are almost no disclosures. The last case was the beating up
of Vilen Gabrielyan, known as “Navak Chochogh” (“Boat Shaker”). In the
evening of January 17, unknown people in masks attacked and beat him
up with batons. Does anybody doubt that the perpetrators will not be
identified? Many previously undisclosed cases make us not even hope
that those attaching with a baton at a naked person will be identified
and brought to responsibility. Instead, we can say for sure that the
subsequent undisclosed case is going to create a fertile ground for
new acts of violence. The attack at Vilen Gabrielyan was the first one
in this year. However, in December, the cases of attack and beating up
“by unknown persons” were unprecedentedly many. On December 9 and 10,
war veterans were beat up: the great activist in various political and
civil actions Suren Sargsyan, Manvel Yeghiazaryan and Razmik
Petrosyan. On December 11, at the entrance of his house, ANC faction
secretary Aram Manukyan was beat up. On December 20, the civil
activist Vaghinak Shushanyan was beaten up. November month did not
pass without incidents too. “Pre-parliamentary” member Gevorg Safaryan
was beaten; the cars of another six members of the same organization
or support members were burned. However, the hope for finding the
perpetrators is ultimately dying when in response to the doubts that
the clients of these beatings are the authorities, particularly in the
upper circles of the police, the deputy chief of police announces, “I
have nothing to feel constraint, if someone in this country would say
anything bad against the president in my presence, I will cut off his
ears like it is done with the whelps.” This “self-confession” in
normal countries would be followed by the resignation of the official,
whereas no such expectation exists in our country. In this case, I
sadly realize that the cases are not disclosed as a result of lack of
talent of our policemen, but simply due to the lack of desire to
disclose them. The year of 2013 was abundant in beatings of civil
activists. So abundant that in the end of September 2013, the police
had issued a statement that “Recently civil society activists were
widely asserted to have been subjected to violence and battery by
unidentified persons and simultaneously The Police was accused of
showing inactivity in disclosing those criminal acts. Those
accusations are groundless and don’t correspond to the reality.
Immediately after the incidents a number of operational, search and
investigative measures were taken, examinations were assigned,
eyewitnesses were detected and interviewed, a careful study of video
recordings was made. The investigation of cases of violence against
the civil society activists is immediately under the control of Police
chief, a daily report on the investigation process is made.” But no
word about the disclosures. In September 4, 2013, civil activists
Haykak Arshamyan amd Suren Saghatelyan were beated by such “unknown
persons”. One year and three months was not enough to identify those
who committed these acts of violence in the event when there are so
many cameras around, and it did not require great talent to identify
the case within short period of time and bring the perpetrators to
responsibility. But what are we talking about, when it was last year
since they had last conducted an operation on this case. In the
conversation with “Aravot”, Haykak Arshamyan told, “We have met with
the investigator last year, in early January. It has been more than a
year since we do not have any information about this case. We do not
even know whether this case was closed, dismissed or temporarily
“frozen”…”. To our question that if the case was dismissed during this
one year, they were obligated to inform you, Mr. Arshamyan replied
“Yes, they are obligated to inform in writing about the situation.
But, it’s more than a year, no news. Some rumors reached me long ago
that the case will be closed, but I do not know what has happened. The
investigator, who was investigating the case, has been moved from
Kentron district to Shengavit district.” To our question of whether at
least they were pretending to do something trying to disclose, H.
Arshamyan replied, “Last time, it was in January 2014 when we went to
the police to make clarifications on the testimony, comparison of
blood tests, we signed some documents, some information about the
fingerprints that there is a third party’s fingerprints on the car…”
We inquired to know whether non-disclosure of similar cases is the
reason that new cases of violence are recorded, Mr. Arshamyan agreed,
“Absolutely. As long as such political persecution and acts of
violence are not disclosed, it means that they are backed by the
government authorities. Such primitive beating in the city center,
made in the presence of numerous cameras and not yet disclosed, prove
that the police with its inaction sponsors the doers, if not,
cooperates.” He also jokingly said that the criminals have been
perfected over one year. “If they attack us unarmed, and the only veil
was the darkness, then Vilen Gabrielyan was attacked with batons and
in masks. Even to the best of my knowledge, Vilen’s assailants were
dressed in similar clothes, almost in a uniform, in inflated
semi-coats. Hence, there is a progress in that sense. They are
working, the technologies develop”. And hiding the faces under
darkness or masks, according to H. Arshamyan, pursues a clear goal.
“They know that sooner or later the government will change so that to
serve the successor with a clear conscience.”

Melania BARSEGHYAN
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