Devastating HRW Report on Armenia Forces Erdogan and Gul to Abandon Failed Policy of Rapprochement

By: Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

[ Posted On: 2009-03-15 ]

• - If Turkey should be further democratized and harmonized with Europe, then why should Turkey open its borders to Armenia - a criminal tyranny denounced as such by the HRW in a lengthy and devastating Report?

In six earlier articles entitled “Turkey’s Ongoing Colonization: Only Reason for Recognizing Racist Armenian Tyranny” (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94451), “Devastating HRW on Armenian Tyranny Imposes Cancellation of the Gul – Erdogan Pro-Armenian Policy” (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94453), “Recognition of the Armenian Tyranny by Ankara Equals Colonization of Turkey by Freemasonic EU – US” (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94492), “Turkish – Armenian Rapprochement to Be Linked on Human Rights Conditions’ Improvement in Armenia” (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94496), “Turkey Cannot Open Its Borders to the Heinous, Rancorous Tyranny of Armenia” (http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94498), and “Armenia: A Tyranny to be Kept Isolated by Turkey on Poor Human Rights Record”
(http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94504), I republished parts of the devastating HRW Report (the HRW Press Release issued on the occasion of the Report publication a few days ago, the Contents, the Summary, the Methodology, the Background, the 2008 Presidential Elections, and parts of the chapter on the Post-Election Protests and Violence).

I called for a master coup against the unrepresentative Erdogan gang of high traitors, freemasons and besotted pseudo-Islamists, who implement the Anti-Turkish colonial agenda of England and France; in fact, the colonial powers imposed on the Freemasonic pupils Gul and Erdogan the Turkish – Armenian rapprochement.

In the present article, I republish the last parts of the HRW Report’s chapter on the Post-Election Protests and Violence. In forthcoming articles, I will complete the republication of the remaining parts of the devastating HRW Report on the Armenian Tyranny.

V. The Post-Election Protests and Violence
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/80933/section/7

Casualties

At least 10 people were killed as a result of the March 1 events. According to summaries of the deaths publicized by the Office of the Public Prosecutor, four civilians died from wounds from firearms, three civilians died from direct impact of unexploded teargas canisters (apparently fired directly at the demonstrators from close range), and one police officer died from fragmentation wounds. Another two people died later from injuries sustained on March 1: one civilian died from a head wound and a serviceman with the Ministry of Internal Affairs died from a firearm wound.[150]Â

Shop looting and other criminal damage

Some demonstrators broke into shops on Mashtots Avenue and looted them. Most protestors to whom Human Rights Watch spoke alleged that those shops were broken into by so-called provocateurs intending to smear the peaceful demonstrators. However, at least two witnesses who had been participants in the demonstrations told Human Rights Watch that three shops belonging to prominent supporters of then President-elect Sargsyan were broken into, and thus tried to justify the crowd's behavior as targeting certain oligarchs only.[151] One of the witnesses, Gevorg G., told Human Rights Watch that he saw that protestors had broken into a supermarket and were eating food on the spot.[152]

The Office of the Public Prosecutor reported that altogether seven shops were looted and 63 vehicles were set on fire.[153]

State of Emergency

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on March 1, President Robert Kocharyan signed a decree, "To Prevent a threat to Constitutional Order and Protect the rights and Legal Interests of the Population," declaring a state of emergency in Armenia.[154] The National Assembly formally approved the state of emergency on March 2.[155] The decree remained in force for 20 days and imposed severe restrictions, including a ban on all mass gatherings and a requirement that all news media use only official information in their domestic coverage. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Armenian language broadcasting was taken off the air and their website blocked.[156] Several other online news publications, including A1+, Haikakan Zhamanak, and Aravot, were blocked by internet service providers on the orders of the security services. During the state of emergency all pro-opposition newspapers were banned from publishing, after they went through prescreening by security service representatives at the publishing houses. The Editor-in-chief of Chorrord Ishkhanutyun told Human Rights Watch that twice, on March 4 and 13, she and her staff attempted to publish the newspaper, but were refused by the publishing house without any explanation after the editions were checked by the security officials.[157] Although media restrictions were lifted on March 13, security service representatives continued interfering with the opposition newspapers' printing, allowing them to publish only on March 21.

International reaction to the state of emergency

After the March 1 events, various international actors expressed serious concern over the violence during the demonstrations. On March 2, then-UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said she was "deeply troubled" by the deaths and injuries following the demonstrations, and called on Armenia to honor its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that "even during states of emergency, fundamental rights-such as the right to life and prohibition of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment-cannot be suspended. Any restrictions of rights must be proportionate and may only be applied to the extent and duration strictly warranted by the circumstances."[158] The EU presidency and external relations commissioner Ferrero-Waldner both issued statements on March 4 condemning the violence.[159]

A statement by Lluis Maria de Puig, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), on March 2 stated that "the authorities must show the utmost restraint and respect the principle of proportionality. The state of emergency that has been declared is an extreme measure and should be lifted as soon as possible: round ups of peaceful demonstrators and gagging the media is not the response of real democrats to differing views."[160] The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg went to Yerevan at the beginning of March to meet with senior government officials and promote protection of human rights,[161] as did Matthew Bryza, US deputy assistant secretary of state; Peter Semneby, the EU special representative for the south Caucasus; and John Prescott of PACE. PACE called for, among other steps, lifting the state of emergency and restoring rights and freedoms, the release of all jailed activists who had not committed violent crimes, and an independent investigation into the March 1 events.[162]

Post-state of emergency restrictions on freedom of assembly

Just before lifting the state of emergency on March 21, 2008, the National Assembly passed amendments to the law on public assembly that severely restricted public gatherings.[163] The amendments, which were criticized by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and by the OSCE, repealed a provision that allowed smaller events to develop into "mass" assemblies without prior authorization, granted police and other national security authorities broad and unchallengeable powers to restrict freedom of assembly, and introduced new powers relating to the suspension of assemblies if "mass disorder" resulted in loss of life.[164] As the Venice Commission pointed out, this provision allowed the authorities to disperse assemblies where the use of excessive force by the authorities themselves resulted in the loss of life.[165]Â On June 11, 2008, the National Assembly adopted additional amendments to the law on public assembly that largely addressed the concerns expressed by the Venice Commission, which concluded that the new version of the law is "generally in conformity with the applicable European standards."[166]

A member of the opposition, however, told Human Rights Watch in January 2009 that the authorities had granted only two of almost a hundred requests for rallies made by the opposition since the lifting of the state of emergency, and that the authorities had not sanctioned any marches since March 1, 2008.[167] Human Rights Watch documented the brief detention of at least 90 people who participated in peaceful "public walks" organized by political opposition supporters in March 2008. On January 16, 2009, several members of the opposition who had gathered to attend a trial decided to march to the prosecutor's office when the trial was postponed. Police prevented the march by surrounding the marchers and eventually used force to disperse them.[168]

Notes

[150] "90 cases concerning 111 people have been sent to court," Office of the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Armenia, December 12, 2008, http://www.genproc.am/main/ru/121/5329/ (accessed January 19, 2009).

[151] Human Rights Watch interview with Vigen V., March 29, 2008.

[152] Human Rights Watch interviews with Gevorg G., March 27; and Vigen V., March 29, 2008.

[153] "Armenian prosecutor gives details of damage caused by opposition rally," ArminfoÂ (in Russian), March 4, 2008.

[154] Human Rights Watch interview with Ararat Mahtesyan, March 28, 2008.

[155] Human Rights Watch interview with Anahit Bakhshyan, March 26, 2008.

[156] "RFE/RL news broadcasts, Internet blocked in Armenia," RFE/RL, March 3, 2008, at http://www.rferl.org/content/PressRelease/1105988.html (accessed December 30, 2008).

[157] Human Rights Watch interview with Shogher Matevosyan, editor-in-chief, Yerevan, March 25, 2008.

[158] "Arbour deeply troubled about deaths during post election protests in Armenia," United Nations press release, March 2, 2008, http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/A1B086787D61D9AAC1257400007F9420?opendocument (accessed May 30, 2008).

[159]"Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the EU on the situation after the presidential elections in Armenia on 1st March 2008," European Union press release, March 4, 2008, http://www.eu2008.si/en/News_and_Documents/CFSP_Statements/March/0403MZZ_Armenia.html (accessed May 30, 2008). "Statement on riots in Yerevan, Armenia, on March 1, 2008," EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, March 4, 2008, http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/ferrero-waldner/speeches/index_en.htm (accessed May 30, 2008).

[160]"PA President appeals for calm in Yerevan, calls for dialogue," Council of Europe press release, March 2, 2008, http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Press/StopPressView.asp?ID=2016 (accessed September 1, 2008).

[161] "Armenia: Commissioner Hammarberg visits Yerevan to advocate human rights protection after post election violence," Council of Europe press release, March 11, 2008, https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1259795&Site=CommDH&BackColorInternet=FEC65B&BackColorIntranet=FEC65B&BackColorLogged=FFC679 (accessed September 1, 2008).

[162]A "PACE Monitoring Committee concerned about continuing arrests in Armenia," Council of Europe press release, March 18, 2008, http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Press/StopPressView.asp?ID=2023 (accessed May 30, 2008).

[163] "Parliament adopted in full the law proposal introducing amendments to the Law on Conducting Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations," National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, March 17, 2008, http://www.parliament.am/news.php?do=view&ID=2698&cat_id=2&day=17&month=03&year=2008âŒ©=rus (accessed January 16, 2009).

[164] See for example, "Joint Opinion on the amendments of 17 March 2008 to the Law on Conducting Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations of the Republic of Armenia by the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR endorsed by the Venice Commission at its 75th Plenary Session (Venice, 13-14 June 2008)," Opinion no. 474 / 2008, CDL-AD(2008)018, June 17, 2008, http://www.venice.coe.int/docs/2008/CDL-AD(2008)018-e.asp (accessed January 16, 2009).

[165] Ibid.

[166] "Joint Opinion on the Draft Law amending and supplementing the law on conducting meetings, assemblies, rallies and demonstrations of the Republic of Armenia by the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR endorsed by the Venice Commission at its 75th Plenary Session (Venice, 13-14 June 2008)," Opinion no. 474 / 2008, CDL-AD(2008)020, June 24, 2008, http://www.venice.coe.int/docs/2008/CDL-AD(2008)020-e.asp (accessed January 16, 2009.

[167] The opposition held other unsanctioned rallies, including two unsanctioned marches. These events were tolerated by the police even though the interaction between the demonstrators and the police became tense on several occasions. Human Rights Watch interview with Levon Zourabyan, Yerevan, January 13, 2008.

[168] Human Rights Watch interview with Levon Zourabyan, Yerevan, January 16, 2008. See also "Ombudsman Criticizes Break-up of Opposition Protest," Armenialiberty.org, January 19, 2009, http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2009/01/35894B0A-C845-4D6F-A2B1-F43099B3EB1C.ASP (accessed January 21, 2009).

Note: Chaotic and nightmarish environment is the daily life in the little tyrannical spot Armenia – the enfant gâté of the colonial establishments of Paris and London, and the Freemasonic Western mass media that diffuse a totally falsified image about the monstrous Caucasus dictatorship.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis - is Orientalist, Assyriologist, Egyptologist, Iranologist, Islamologist, Historian and Political Scientist. Dr. Megalommatis, 52, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages.

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