OPEN LETTER TO Mr.PRESCOTT AND Mr. COLOMBIER
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A group of Armenian political prisoners have addressed a letter to John Prescott and Georges Colombier, Co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Even before the February 19, 2008 presidential elections had come to an end, and despite the massive, shattering evidence you had seen with your own eyes and had at your disposal, the OSCE observers' mission hastened to announce: "The presidential elections have in essence corresponded to the obligations of the OSCE and international standards during the pre-election period and during the election process."
Armed with, and encouraged by this very hasty, unfounded and criminal assessment which, Mr. Prescott, also carried your own signature, the leaders of the kleptocracy dared realize the barbaric massacre of peaceful demonstrators and the bloody slaughter of March 1. Ten people were killed, dozens were wounded. This was followed by the massive persecutions of thousands of representatives of the opposition, by terrorism, and by arrests. Trumped up criminal charges were brought up against them, about 150 people were imprisoned, and dozens of illegal verdicts were passed. Today, there are around 60 political prisoners.
You, Mr. Prescott and Mr. Colombier, announced before the summer session of PACE that the authorities in Armenia had registered great progress in implementing the requests laid out in Report 1609 when not a single step had been taken, of which you were well aware. The extension of the deadline for the implementation of 1609 by six months was the result of your—as the co-rapporteurs of Armenia—posture and reports intended to please the authorities. You, of course, were well aware that by so doing you contributed, among other damages, to keeping political prisoners in prison for yet another six months. By that, you also contributed to the plan of the authorities in the Republic of Armenia not to disclose the slaughter of March 1.
You have also caused enormous damage to the authority of the corresponding European structures you represent. The public of Armenia, who on the one hand were witnesses to, and were completely aware of the disgraceful events, and on the other hand were fully aware of the Armenian authorities' "talent" and custom in resolving problems through bribery, could not arrive at any other conclusion but that the issues with European officials were resolved in the same way.
For all of these, you bear personality responsibility.
After the December 17 decision of the monitors, the administration has responded by submitting the political prisoners to violence in their cells. At the same time, through the use of torture, personal pleas for forgiveness have been wrenched from our comrades, to nine of whom, your spiritual child, the self-proclaimed thieving ruler has bestowed clemency with great largesse, on the eve of your visit. Have you come again to take the "proof" to the next session of PACE as "evidence of real progress?" So far as we can see you can have no other purpose than to rescue the thieving rulers from the punishment that awaits them, and the extension of our imprisonment.
By that you only increase the extent of the responsibility you necessarily will bear.
Signed by Political Prisoners:
Gagik Jhangiryan
Smbat Ayvazyan
Alexander Arzumanyan
Myasnik Malkhasyan
Sasoun Mikaelyan
Shant Harutyunyan
Hakob Hakobyan
Grigor Voskerchyan
Souren Sirunyan
Mushezgh Saghatelyan
Tigran Mkrtchyan
Levon Khachatryan
Tigran Melkonyan
Gevork Chagaryan
Ashot Zakaryan
Hovhannes Harutyunyan
Kristapor Elazyan
Vardan Ghavalbabunts
Harutyun Gharibyan
Mkrtich Sapeyan
Zhora Sapeyan
Armen Sirunyan
Vardges Gaspary
Samvel Karapetyan
Simon Amirkhanyan
Aram Bareghamyan
Sos Gevorgyan
Armen Sargsyan
Mkrtich Abrahamayan
Armenak Abrahamyan
Roman Mratsakanyan
Never Stepanyan
Arman Babajanyan
Marzpetuni Ayvazyan
Petros Makeyan
Harutyun Urutyan
Ashot Manukyan
Gevork Manukyan
Shmavon Galstyan
Feliks Gevorgyan
Davit Aghayan
Tatev Gasparyan
Davit Matevosyan
