May 23, 2006

Fear in Armavir: Heritage Fights for Civil Rights

Yerevan—On May 20, Heritage Party Chairman Raffi K. Hovannisian and a delegation of high-ranking colleagues paid a visit to the Armavir region to hold consultations with members of the party’s local divisions. At their first stop, in the village of Miasnikian, it became evident that the visit was being closely monitored by the local police department and other security services. Before the meeting, the law enforcement bodies had questioned Heritage’s local representative about the objective and timing of the visit and the composition of the delegation, and had insisted that they be informed as soon as Hovannisian arrived.

The meeting at Miasnikian was still in progress when word came from the town of Armavir that the party’s local office manager Levon Margarian had been taken into custody. Before being released he was told that the region’s law enforcement agency knew about the forthcoming visit of Raffi Hovannisian and the other senior party members. The police demanded that Margarian make sure that the meeting did not take place; otherwise they would use force to disrupt it.

Upon arrival at Armavir, the Heritage Party leadership witnessed local police units standing on the sidewalk across from the party’s regional headquarters. It was apparent that they had been called in to intimidate their fellow citizens and to ensure the prevention of the meeting. This outrage notwithstanding, an open discussion between the party officials and local residents took place as scheduled. Afterwards, Raffi Hovannisian walked to the local police precinct and asked to meet with the district chief, Colonel Gevorgian. Initially, he was told that this would be arranged in 15 minutes, but later he was informed that Gevorgian had convened an urgent consultation and could not receive him. Talks with the deputy police chief or any other person in command were also ruled out under the same pretext. Subsequently, the request for a formal explanation was submitted to the officer on duty, Lieutenant Melkonian.

On May 22, the executive board of the Heritage Party sent a letter to Armenia’s Police Chief Haik Harutiunian demanding a full explanation and assessment of these unlawful and unconstitutional acts.

Throughout his regional visits Raffi Hovannisian was accompanied by chairman Hovsep Khurshudian of the Heritage Party’s Constitutional Commission, board member Gevorg Kalenchian, and political secretary Vardan Khachatrian. In Khachatrian’s words, the party expects that “the police will uncover the architects of this illegal operation and give a legal evaluation of what took place.”

That these initiatives of fear and intimidation are centrally orchestrated is corroborated by the recent unlawful closure of Heritage’s main headquarters in Yerevan; the surveillance and harassment of party members throughout the republic and threatening them with imprisonment or loss of employment; the late-night removal of the Heritage logo from its regional offices in Aparan, Yeghvard, Sisian, Kapan, and Yegheknadzor; the refusal of Yegheknadzor mayor Sirak Babayan to sanction a public meeting on May 6; the refusal of the Armenian government to provide a standard hall for Heritage’s upcoming convention; and the informational blockade of Heritage and Hovannisian presidentially imposed on virtually all electronic media in the country.