Against violence in Armenia

Announcement of the preliminary and later the final results of the February 19th Presidential Elections in Armenia have caused the protest among the supporters of the opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, which took the form of multi hundred thousand protest rallies in the capital of Armenia – Yerevan.

The personal objections towards the results have been raised by some state officials who as a result were dismissed from the jobs; some of them were even arrested. The opposition leader is factually under home arrest. Moreover, during the first days after the dismissal of the demonstration there have been mass arrests of civilians participating in the rallies.

The absence of dialogue and implacability of the parties resulted in a violent dismissal of the rally on March 1 of the current year. As a result, the political rivalry took the form of armed clash between the state authority and people – supporters of the opposition.

As a result of violence 8 people at minimum are dead shot (gun shot) and more than 130 received serious injuries on both sides. As the evidence obtained from “Human Rights Watch” shows, some demonstrators have been beaten up by the police in a condition of unconsciousness.

The dismissal of demonstrators and bloodshed resulted in the enactment of State of Emergency in Yerevan for 20 days, within the framework of which the censorship is imposed on media (TV and press, as well as Internet editions). The dissemination of leaflets and other politically implicated information as well as news regarding the inner political situation in a country is also outlawed. In addition, rallies, meetings and other events are also banned. The restrictions on the functioning of non-governmental and political organizations have also been imposed.

Given facts and available evidence it appears that state authorities are carrying out mass arrests of the opposition members. Despite the address made to his supporters to disband until the removal of the State of Emergency by the opposition leader, the first President of Armenia Mr. Levon Ter-Petrosian, the emotional charge is still high in the society. The continuation of violence on local levels can not be ruled out taking into consideration the warning issued by the Chief of Staff of Armenia to the population “to refrain from assembly in Yerevan even in small groupings with regard of which even in any suspicious situation the armed forces will apply to the appropriate measures having determined by the law and constitution.”

To our belief, all this became possible due to the lack of timely and adequate attention to be devoted by the international community to the events developing in Armenia – member states of European Council and UN before the presidential elections as well as on the elections day and after the elections.