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REGRESSION OF DEMOCRACY IN ARMENIA
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2012/10/19/hak-akcia
08:07 pm | Today | Politics
The state of democracy in Armenia is even worse than before May
2011 when under the pressure of rallies organized by the opposition
Armenian National Congress (HAK), Serzh Sargsyan granted pardon to the
last political prisoners jailed after the March 1, 2008 post-election
bloodshed.
The opinion was expressed by HAK member Vladimir Karapetyan during
a protest action outside the Prosecutor General's Office in Yerevan
in support of the jailed opposition activist Tigran Arakelyan.
Armenia is getting more isolated, people are living in poverty,
authorities have not kept any of their campaign pledges... Harassment
of opposition activists has become widespread: not only HAK activists
but also representatives of other political forces are subjected to
persecution today. This again shows that the authorities are applying
the same methods and the same pressures in their relationship with
people and political forces," he said.
Mr Karapetyan says protests against the authorities' arbitrariness
are important as they enable people to pressurize the leadership
and signal our co-citizens that illegalities are continuing in the
country and the authorities are responsible for it.
Publicist Ara Nedolyan says regular civil acts-protests and
demonstrations - affect public awareness and show that 'people have
a moral, political and civic position and continue to express it.'
"The fact that there is a public demand, there is a kind of social
protest - sustainable, long, sometimes crowded, sometimes not. But at
any time it can have its impact on the situation. We have citizens
who pose definite demanding and want to have them fulfilled," says
the publicist.
Tigran Arakelyan was taken into custody after an August 2011 standoff
with police officers in a Yerevan park and was immediately charged
with hooliganism against a representative of law-enforcement body.
Arakelyan and his friends from the HAK - David Kiramijyan, Sargis
Gevorgyan and Artak Karapetyan were later sentenced to 2-6 years
in prison.
Four of the six factions of Armenian parliament condemned the court
ruling. The legal representatives of the HAK activists are presently
disputing the verdict in the Appellate Court.
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2012/10/19/hak-akcia
08:07 pm | Today | Politics
The state of democracy in Armenia is even worse than before May
2011 when under the pressure of rallies organized by the opposition
Armenian National Congress (HAK), Serzh Sargsyan granted pardon to the
last political prisoners jailed after the March 1, 2008 post-election
bloodshed.
The opinion was expressed by HAK member Vladimir Karapetyan during
a protest action outside the Prosecutor General's Office in Yerevan
in support of the jailed opposition activist Tigran Arakelyan.
Armenia is getting more isolated, people are living in poverty,
authorities have not kept any of their campaign pledges... Harassment
of opposition activists has become widespread: not only HAK activists
but also representatives of other political forces are subjected to
persecution today. This again shows that the authorities are applying
the same methods and the same pressures in their relationship with
people and political forces," he said.
Mr Karapetyan says protests against the authorities' arbitrariness
are important as they enable people to pressurize the leadership
and signal our co-citizens that illegalities are continuing in the
country and the authorities are responsible for it.
Publicist Ara Nedolyan says regular civil acts-protests and
demonstrations - affect public awareness and show that 'people have
a moral, political and civic position and continue to express it.'
"The fact that there is a public demand, there is a kind of social
protest - sustainable, long, sometimes crowded, sometimes not. But at
any time it can have its impact on the situation. We have citizens
who pose definite demanding and want to have them fulfilled," says
the publicist.
Tigran Arakelyan was taken into custody after an August 2011 standoff
with police officers in a Yerevan park and was immediately charged
with hooliganism against a representative of law-enforcement body.
Arakelyan and his friends from the HAK - David Kiramijyan, Sargis
Gevorgyan and Artak Karapetyan were later sentenced to 2-6 years
in prison.
Four of the six factions of Armenian parliament condemned the court
ruling. The legal representatives of the HAK activists are presently
disputing the verdict in the Appellate Court.