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EUROPEAN COURT TO REVIEW CASE OF 4 ARMENIA DIPLOMATS DISMISSED AFTER MAR. 1, 2008
epress.am
12.16.2011
An application submitted by four diplomats dismissed from their posts
after the events following the 2008 presidential elections in Armenia
will be reviewed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Recall, Armenia's foreign minister at the time, Vartan Oskanian, sacked
head of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) press department
Vladimir Karapetyan, head of the MFA's NATO division Marta Ayvazyan,
European department advisor Arakel Semirjyan and head of the US and
Canada division Karine Afrikyan.
On this occasion, Epress.am spoke with one of the applicants, writer,
publicist Arakel Semirjyan, who also happens to be the nephew of
opposition Armenian National Congress leader and defeated candidate
in the 2008 presidential election Levon Ter-Petrossian.
"It was time for the European Court to examine our application. There
hasn't been a precedent in which this many diplomats appeal for the
reason that they were dismissed from their jobs. It's a case with
no precedent and that's why it's in the European Court's center of
attention," he said.
Semirjyan said the absurdity in their sacking lies in the fact that
they didn't make a political statement. After the 2008 presidential
election, the diplomats disseminated a statement in which they urged
the parties to be rational, and called upon the Armenian authorities
to take steps to carry out all the proposals and observations on
electoral fraud raised by international organizations, which the
constitution obliges them to do so.
"Our request, to fulfill their constitutional obligation, was viewed
as a crime," he said, adding that though they didn't make a political
statement and were punished, there were people who made political
statements at the time and weren't punished.
In particular, Semirjyan noted that diplomat Gegham Gharibjanyan
expressed his support for Serzh Sargsyan and for the Republican Party
of Armenia; however, he wasn't dismissed from his post.
"Ruben Hakobyan [currently, vice chair of the opposition Heritage
Party], who at the time was [Armenia's] consul in St. Petersburg
and was still a Dashnak [Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-D)
member], he too expressed his support for the current authorities -
at the time the coalition, of which ARF-D was a part. Those statements
were made in Feb. 2008," he stressed.
Famous French chansonnier of Armenian descent Charles Aznavour, who is
currently Armenia's ambassador to Switzerland, Semirjyan added, also
criticized the authorities; however, he hasn't been held responsible.
epress.am
12.16.2011
An application submitted by four diplomats dismissed from their posts
after the events following the 2008 presidential elections in Armenia
will be reviewed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Recall, Armenia's foreign minister at the time, Vartan Oskanian, sacked
head of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) press department
Vladimir Karapetyan, head of the MFA's NATO division Marta Ayvazyan,
European department advisor Arakel Semirjyan and head of the US and
Canada division Karine Afrikyan.
On this occasion, Epress.am spoke with one of the applicants, writer,
publicist Arakel Semirjyan, who also happens to be the nephew of
opposition Armenian National Congress leader and defeated candidate
in the 2008 presidential election Levon Ter-Petrossian.
"It was time for the European Court to examine our application. There
hasn't been a precedent in which this many diplomats appeal for the
reason that they were dismissed from their jobs. It's a case with
no precedent and that's why it's in the European Court's center of
attention," he said.
Semirjyan said the absurdity in their sacking lies in the fact that
they didn't make a political statement. After the 2008 presidential
election, the diplomats disseminated a statement in which they urged
the parties to be rational, and called upon the Armenian authorities
to take steps to carry out all the proposals and observations on
electoral fraud raised by international organizations, which the
constitution obliges them to do so.
"Our request, to fulfill their constitutional obligation, was viewed
as a crime," he said, adding that though they didn't make a political
statement and were punished, there were people who made political
statements at the time and weren't punished.
In particular, Semirjyan noted that diplomat Gegham Gharibjanyan
expressed his support for Serzh Sargsyan and for the Republican Party
of Armenia; however, he wasn't dismissed from his post.
"Ruben Hakobyan [currently, vice chair of the opposition Heritage
Party], who at the time was [Armenia's] consul in St. Petersburg
and was still a Dashnak [Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-D)
member], he too expressed his support for the current authorities -
at the time the coalition, of which ARF-D was a part. Those statements
were made in Feb. 2008," he stressed.
Famous French chansonnier of Armenian descent Charles Aznavour, who is
currently Armenia's ambassador to Switzerland, Semirjyan added, also
criticized the authorities; however, he hasn't been held responsible.