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WHOM DID CIVILITAS DISPLEASE IN ARMENIA?
Vestnik Kavkaza
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/27938.html
June 18 2012
Russia
The law-enforcement agencies' attack on the fund Civilitas, headed by
the former foreign minister of Armenia, Vardan Oskanyan, became the
most discussed topic in the summer information calm in the republic.
Last week Oskanyan was invited to the National Security Service of
Armenia to be a witness in a criminal case initiated on May 25.
Oskanyan was asked to tell about "legalization of revenues gained by
illegal ways," which concerns Oskanyan and his fund Civilitas.
On June 13 the former minister was invited to the NSS as a witness in
the criminal case into money laundering. However, Oskanyan refused to
talk. Oskanyan told journalists that it was obvious he was questioned
not as a witness, but as a suspect. The former minister invoked his
constitutional right and refused to talk. At the same time, Civilitas's
criminal case has political background, as it was initiated the day
after the leader of Prosperous Armenia, Gagik Tsarukyan, chose to
join the ruling coalition.
The fund of Civilitas deals with human rights protection,
democratization issues and establishing a civil society. After Oskanyan
had joined the Prosperous Armenia party ahead of the parliamentary
elections, he rejected the position of the fund's chairman.
>From the very beginning, Civilitas has been financed by the governments
of the Netherlands and Poland, the foreign ministries of Norway and
Germany, development agencies in Switzerland and the UK, the US embassy
in Armenia, the OSCE office in Yerevan, and other organizations,
corporations, and individuals. Oskanyan is sure that the relevant
Armenian structures have been aware of it. He stated that a political
order is behind the initiation of the criminal case.
The ruling Republican Party of Armenia denies the existence of any
political reasons for the initiation of the criminal case. However,
the press secretary of Prosperous Armenia, Tigran Urikhanyan, thinks
that the law-enforcement agencies are doing their best to blacken
Vardan Oskanyan's name. "If it is a financial case, why don't the
relevant bodies deal with it? Why was the criminal case initiated
immediately? The political background is obvious," Urikhanyan stated.
Meanwhile, foreign ambassadors in Armenia got involved in the case
of Civilitas. On June 14 ambassadors of the USA, Switzerland, France,
the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Romania visited the fund.
According to the US ambassador to Armenia, John Heffern, "the embassy
is interested and is following attentively the criminal case initiated
into money laundering by the fund Civilitas. The fact that it is
happening at the moment concerns us."
First of all we should answer the questions: whom did Vardan Oskanyan
displease and why? Why are they paying attention to the fund at the
moment? It is obvious that the law-enforcement agencies will apply
harsh methods, and the case negatively influences the international
image of Armenia. It seems that the president of Armenia Sargsyan
wants to show that he has bad relations with his predecessor, Robert
Kocharyan.
The case of Civilitas poses more questions than answers. It is also
unclear whether Oskanyan really understands the whole background
of the attack on him or not. One thing is obvious - if Civilitas
corrupted the law, the relevant bodies knew about it long before the
fuss that started. The fact that this case was initiated ahead of
the presidential election campaign is very significant.
Vestnik Kavkaza
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/27938.html
June 18 2012
Russia
The law-enforcement agencies' attack on the fund Civilitas, headed by
the former foreign minister of Armenia, Vardan Oskanyan, became the
most discussed topic in the summer information calm in the republic.
Last week Oskanyan was invited to the National Security Service of
Armenia to be a witness in a criminal case initiated on May 25.
Oskanyan was asked to tell about "legalization of revenues gained by
illegal ways," which concerns Oskanyan and his fund Civilitas.
On June 13 the former minister was invited to the NSS as a witness in
the criminal case into money laundering. However, Oskanyan refused to
talk. Oskanyan told journalists that it was obvious he was questioned
not as a witness, but as a suspect. The former minister invoked his
constitutional right and refused to talk. At the same time, Civilitas's
criminal case has political background, as it was initiated the day
after the leader of Prosperous Armenia, Gagik Tsarukyan, chose to
join the ruling coalition.
The fund of Civilitas deals with human rights protection,
democratization issues and establishing a civil society. After Oskanyan
had joined the Prosperous Armenia party ahead of the parliamentary
elections, he rejected the position of the fund's chairman.
>From the very beginning, Civilitas has been financed by the governments
of the Netherlands and Poland, the foreign ministries of Norway and
Germany, development agencies in Switzerland and the UK, the US embassy
in Armenia, the OSCE office in Yerevan, and other organizations,
corporations, and individuals. Oskanyan is sure that the relevant
Armenian structures have been aware of it. He stated that a political
order is behind the initiation of the criminal case.
The ruling Republican Party of Armenia denies the existence of any
political reasons for the initiation of the criminal case. However,
the press secretary of Prosperous Armenia, Tigran Urikhanyan, thinks
that the law-enforcement agencies are doing their best to blacken
Vardan Oskanyan's name. "If it is a financial case, why don't the
relevant bodies deal with it? Why was the criminal case initiated
immediately? The political background is obvious," Urikhanyan stated.
Meanwhile, foreign ambassadors in Armenia got involved in the case
of Civilitas. On June 14 ambassadors of the USA, Switzerland, France,
the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Romania visited the fund.
According to the US ambassador to Armenia, John Heffern, "the embassy
is interested and is following attentively the criminal case initiated
into money laundering by the fund Civilitas. The fact that it is
happening at the moment concerns us."
First of all we should answer the questions: whom did Vardan Oskanyan
displease and why? Why are they paying attention to the fund at the
moment? It is obvious that the law-enforcement agencies will apply
harsh methods, and the case negatively influences the international
image of Armenia. It seems that the president of Armenia Sargsyan
wants to show that he has bad relations with his predecessor, Robert
Kocharyan.
The case of Civilitas poses more questions than answers. It is also
unclear whether Oskanyan really understands the whole background
of the attack on him or not. One thing is obvious - if Civilitas
corrupted the law, the relevant bodies knew about it long before the
fuss that started. The fact that this case was initiated ahead of
the presidential election campaign is very significant.