Unprecedented retribution
"It is very dangerous to live in Armenia today," Chairman of the Armenian Helsinki Committee Avetik Ishkhanyan said during a press conference today. "This is an issue of national security", added freedom of speech defense committee expert Mesrop Harutyunyan. The two were discussing the recent assaults and the lack of revelation.
Avetik Ishkhanyan weighed the assault against advocate and journalist Argishti Kiviryan as the most brutal assault. It was, as he said, "an unprecedented retribution" tied to his profession because, according to Avetik Ishkhanyan, Argishti Kiviryan couldn't have had any problems with anyone.
President of the Chamber of Advocates Ruben Sahakyan noted that assaults connected to professional activity come from the collapse of the Soviet Union and recalled how he, advocates Zhora Khachatryan and Rafael Safaryan were brutally beaten in the 90's. These crimes, according to Ruben Sahakyan, are not revealed as a rule, if there are no witnesses and even if there are orders from the elite to reveal the crimes as soon as possible.
Mesrop Harutyunyan came to the conclusion that there should not be formal statements about revealing crimes, referring to the previous cases and Serzh Sargsyan's statement to reveal the crimes immediately. However, the assaults against Hrach Melkumyan and Edik Baghdasaryan remain unrevealed.
The lawyer, journalist and advocate are certain that the assault against Artashes Kiviryan will not be revealed because there is lack of desire and, as Ruben Sahakyan mentioned, the preliminary investigative body representatives are illiterate.
Mesrop Harutyunyan also stressed the illiteracy and stated that people who can't put two words together start attacking with clubs and we are still surprised when we see that Armenia has low indices of freedom of speech and democracy.
