Monday,
Pashinian Urged To Publish Sarkisian-Era ‘Secret Document’
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, 05Aug, 2019
A leading anti-graft organization’s representative has called on Armenian Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian to disclose the classified information from former
President Serzh Sarkisian’s times that he claims described Armenia as an
“institutionally paralyzed” state.
In a Facebook video on Sunday Pashinian said his short vacation gave him more
time to peruse a “secret” government document drawn up in 2014 that he claimed
revealed “that institutionally our state is totally failed.”
Pashinian said the document that was on his table contained such sensitive
information that he could not even disclose its title.
“The significance of this secret document which was written during the last
years of the Sarkisian government and is now on my table is that it gives a
complete picture of the state of our country or in what state it was and
continues to be, because the problems referred to in it naturally could not
solved within just a year. The conclusion drawn from this paper is that, in
essence, during the [2018] revolution, before and in some sense after it our
country has been institutionally paralyzed. In fact, this is a document that
says that in our country state institutions are paralyzed and institutionally
our state is totally failed. The authors of this document must have shown some
great courage in making such evaluations,” Pashinian said, noting that studying
this document helps him better understand what is happening in Armenia and what
issues need to be addressed in the country.
The prime minister explained that in Armenia today “there are no institutions
that would solve various problems that people face.” As an example, he cited
multiple difficulties arising in such major projects as road construction.
“Reading this document, I once again made sure that in Armenia, in fact, the
system of governance was based on corruption, and when you remove corruption,
it turns out that there is no system of governance underneath. This is the
biggest problem. This is the kind of challenge our government is facing. In
fact, we have to create institutions in Armenia from scratch to solve the
problems that our country faces,” Pashinian said, stressing that by
institutions he also meant the judicial system and the system of state
purchases.
“There are institutions in our country that at first glance seem to be fully
operational, but when you go deep, you realize that under the decorative
curtain we, in fact, have a state of institutional paralysis or partial
paralysis. We need strong nerves to address this situation in the sense that we
should not be running in panic after all possible problems, but should focus on
tactical and strategic priorities, and without paying any attention to
emotional backgrounds address these problems one after another,” the premier
concluded.
Talking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday deputy director
of the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center Sona Ayvazian
suggested that information of that kind merits disclosure in the interest of
the public.
“It is not right to provide only bits of information and leave it to the public
to make conclusions and form opinions,” she said.
Sona Ayvazyan, deputy director of Transparency International's Anticorruption
Center in Armenia (file photo)
Ayvazian said that a number of other similar statements made by Pashinian in
the past were not followed up on and elicited no response from law-enforcement
agencies.
“No steps follow such statements. At least, the public is not aware of such
steps. I think in this case it is the same. We, of course, do not know what
document it is… and how far it is possible for the law-enforcement bodies to
take steps based on it. But I think it should be followed by corresponding
reports to law-enforcement bodies. I think it would be even correct if the
document becomes available for the public, as it talks about public interest,”
Transparency International’s representative said.
Meanwhile, representatives of Sarkisian’s former ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (HHK) challenged the veracity of Pashinian’s claims, challenging him to
publish the document.
Armen Ashotian, a former HHK lawmaker and education minister in the Sarkisian
government, contended in a Facebook post that Pashinian is seeking an excuse
for his government’s failures.
“Why this whole fake mysteriousness? Just publish the title of the ‘report’ and
reveal the names of its authors,” he wrote.
Vladimir Karapetian, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Pashinian, told RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) later on Monday that the matter concerns
classified information that is not subject for publication by law.
Retrial Of Former 2008 Unrest Convict Opens In Yerevan
• Marine Khachatrian
Mushegh Saghatelian (file photo)
A lower court in Yerevan on Monday launched a retrial of the case of
oppositionist Mushegh Saghatelian who was convicted after a 2008 post-election
unrest and sentenced to five years in prison and now seeks acquittal.
Earlier, the Court of Cassation – the highest instance in Armenia’s three-tier
judicial system – fully upheld the prosecutor-general’s appeal for reviewing
the judicial acts of the lower court and the court of appeal issued in
2008-2009 due to “new circumstances.”
The Court of Cassation overturned the rulings, referring the case to the court
of the first instance for a retrial.
The decision comes less than a year after Saghatelian won a case against the
Republic of Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The
Strasbourg-based court found that Saghatelian’s rights enshrined in several
articles of the European Convention on Human Rights had been violated.
This ECHR decision came into force last December 20, and it is this decision
that the prosecutor-general cited as the new circumstance in filing the
cassation appeal.
The ECHR ruling, in particular, concerned violations of articles dealing with
prohibition of torture, freedom and personal immunity, fair trial and freedom
of assembly.
Saghatelian’s lawyer Seda Safarian on Monday singled out the right to a fair
trial. “Let’s find out why the police officers who testified in cases of nearly
a hundred political prisoners were interested in giving such testimony and how
it turned out that the police officers who actually committed acts of violence
against the people suddenly became victims in this case,” said Safarian.
In 2008, Saghatelian managed an election campaign of presidential candidate
Levon Ter-Petrosian in Armenia’s northwestern province of Shirak. He was
arrested on March 1, 2018 following a crackdown on opposition rallies
protesting against electoral fraud and challenging the outcome of the vote that
officially gave victory to then Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
Ten people, including two security personnel, were killed as security forces
quelled the protests.
In October 2008, Saghatelian was convicted of carrying a cold weapon and using
‘dangerous’ violence against a police officer and sentenced to five years in
prison and a fine of 900,000 drams (about $1,900).
During the entire trial Saghatelian denied the charges. He was released on
parole in November 2010.
During today’s hearing Judge Mesrop Makian requested medical documents on the
health condition of Saghatelian who has been in hospital in an unconscious
state for more than a year now. Until then he adjourned the session.
Saghatelian’s lawyer said that her client is unlikely to get well any time soon
and in any case he will not have the ability to communicate with the court.
“So, we have no other option than to pass on to the hearing right after the
examination. Over 10 years have passed and it is desirable that the case be
heard quickly. In this regard, I would not want Saghatelian’s health condition
to hinder the trial,” said Safarian.
Saghatelian’s son, Sevada Saghatelian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service
(Azatutyun.am) that the family hopes for a fair trial after the ECHR’s ruling.
Armenian PM Offers Condolences Over U.S. Mass Shootings
US - A woman places flowers at the site of a mass shooting where 20 people lost
their lives at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, U.S. August 4, 2019.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has sent a letter of condolences to
U.S. President Donald Trump on the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that have
rocked the American nation.
Nine people were killed and at least 27 injured when a gunman opened fire in
downtown Dayton, Ohio, on August 4 only hours after a man opened fire in a
crowded El Paso, Texas, shopping area, leaving 20 dead and 26 injured.
According to the Armenian prime minister’s official website, in his message
Pashinian said: “I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic events in Texas
and Ohio that caused many deaths and injuries.
“I extend my deepest condolences and support to you, the friendly people of the
United States, wishing courage to you and speedy recovery to the injured. We
pray together with you for all the innocent victims and express our solidarity
with their families and friends.”
Pashinian In Stepanakert Reveals ‘Strategic Goals’ For Armenia
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian at a rally in Stepanakert,
Nagorno-Karabakh, August 5, 2019
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian called for concentration of the pan-Armenian
potential for the realization of long-term strategic goals of the nation as he
addressed thousands of people in the central square of the Nagorno-Karabakh
capital of Stepanakert on Monday.
In a speech likely to irk Azerbaijan that does not recognize Armenian
sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, Pashinian several times sought to emphasize
the unity of different parts of the Armenian people, including the people of
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, in the realization of pan-Armenian goals.
At the rally, the popular head of the Armenian government who came to power as
the leader of nationwide protests in the spring of 2018 also laid out what he
described as a long-term strategic vision of goals of the Armenian government
until 2050.
According to this vision, in the next three decades Armenia’s population should
grow from the current 3 million to at least 5 million people.
“Our goal is to create 1.5 million jobs, provide employment for 2.5 million,
stamp out poverty and turn Armenia into an industrial country,” Pashinian
stressed.
In the indicated period Pashinian sees Armenia’s gross domestic product
increasing 15 times, average salaries rising seven times, and funding for
medicine, education and science growing 20 times.
“Our goal is to have at least five Armenian technological companies whose
values will be over $10 billion and 10,000 working startups,” he said. “By the
index of combat readiness our army should be at least among the world’s top 20
armies and we should have one of the world’s top ten most efficient
intelligence services.”
According to the Pashinian government’s vision, by 2050 Armenia will become a
country annually attracting 15 million tourists and excelling in sports. “We
will strive to make Armenia’s national soccer team a medal winner at a European
or world championship, gain 25 Olympic gold medals and get an individual world
champion in chess,” he said.
“I am convinced that many of you wonder why I am saying nothing about Artsakh
[Karabakh]. The answer is very simple: Artsakh is Armenia. Period,” Pashinian
said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The Armenian premier stressed that while his government sees a comprehensive
fulfillment of the goals by 2050, some of these goals can be fulfilled much
earlier. “So, it does not mean that we should sit and wait until then. We start
working on the realization of these goal already today,” said Pashinian, adding
that it is equally important to have a “roadmap” for the realization of these
“mega-goals”.
“The realization of these strategic goals should become the backbone of the
pan-Armenian agenda,” he said.
At the same time, Pashinian stressed that the Armenian people should agree on a
number of “consensuses” for the achievement of the ambitious goals. Thus,
according to him, violence should be excluded in solving domestic issues; free
and fair elections should be the only source of forming governments; any
attempt to bring in foreign forces in settling domestic Armenian affairs should
entail a strong reaction from the government; Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh
should be free from corruption and abide by the principles of rule of law,
equality of all before law, which includes independent courts.
Pashinian also stressed that the goal of negotiations with Azerbaijan around a
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement should be “the defense of the results of the
liberation struggle waged for the sovereignty and security of the Artsakh
people.”
“Any solution reached as a result of negotiations that will be considered
acceptable for the governments of Armenia and Artsakh can be regarded as
acceptable only if it is popularly endorsed by people in Armenia and Artsakh,”
said the Armenian premier.
Pashinian spoke in Stepanakert on the eve of the opening of the seventh
Pan-Armenian games that is due to take place in Stepanakert on August 6.
The quadrennial games that will be held mostly in Yerevan through August 17 are
bringing together hundreds of ethnic Armenian athletes from around the world.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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