U.S. OFFICIAL SLAMS YEREVAN FOR ‘BRUTAL’ CRACKDOWN
Radio Liberty
March 11 2008
Czech Republic
A senior U.S. official has condemned as "harsh and brutal" the Armenian
government’s post-election crackdown on the opposition and expressed
serious concern about the continuing mass arrests of supporters of
opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian.
"The violence really was deplorable. It seems clear that the reaction
by the government was harsh and brutal," Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State Matthew Bryza told The Associated Press Monday, referring
to the March 1 deadly clashes in Yerevan between security forces and
thousands of Ter-Petrosian supporters.
Washington had until then avoided criticizing the use of force against
opposition protesters that left at least seven of them dead.
A senior U.S. diplomat said earlier on Monday that the Armenian
authorities had to forcibly "restore order" after the demonstration
turned violent.
Bryza’s comments came just three days after he held talks in
Yerevan with outgoing President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister and
President-elect Serzh Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian in a bid to defuse
Armenia’s worst political crisis in nearly a decade. He pressed the
Armenian leaders to lift the state of emergency in the capital and
the resulting severe restrictions on press freedom.
Kocharian has made it clear, however, that emergency rule will remain
in force at least until March 20. His security apparatus is continuing
its unprecedented crackdown on the opposition, with dozens of more
opposition figures, including Ter-Petrosian’s election campaign
manager, arrested in recent days.
"It is not only frustrating that the government has imposed
restrictions on independent media and left in place a state of
emergency, but also that it has stepped up arrests of opposition
leaders," Bryza said. "It is crucial that the arrest of opposition
figures stops."
The crackdown also prompted concern from one of the two main Armenian
lobbying organizations in the United States. "The Armenian Assembly
of America continues to be concerned about the restrictions imposed
by President Robert Kocharian’s Administration, including respect for
freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, as well as ongoing arrests
and detentions," the AAA said in a rare statement critical of the
Yerevan government. "We urge that the basic civil rights protections
be upheld."
"We are also keenly aware that the political divisions that have been
created in Armenia have already begun to impact the Diaspora," warned
the AAA. "We continue to receive calls from across the country from
supporters and friends alike who have voiced their strong concerns
and expectations."
At least 84 Ter-Petrosian supporters, including two parliament
deputies, remained in custody as of late Monday. According to
the Office of the Prosecutor-General, 77 of them have already been
formally charged with plotting a coup d’etat, organizing "mass riots"
and other grave crimes.
Ter-Petrosian’s campaign headquarters reported several more arrests
on Tuesday. An official there, Armen Khachatrian, said the latest
detainees include Roman Navasardian, Ter-Petrosian’s campaign chief
in the southeastern town of Kapan, and Rafik Asrian, head of the
local chapter of the Yerkrapah Union of Armenian war veterans.
Khachatrian told RFE/RL the two men were detained by the police late
on their way to Yerevan before being driven back to Kapan on Monday
night. "Based on their role in our election campaign, we have reason
to believe that they will soon be brought to the National Security
Service headquarters in Yerevan," he said. "Our law-enforcement
authorities are operating in such a primitive way that it is easy to
calculate who will be taken where and charged with what."
Also arrested on Monday were Ter-Petrosian’s national campaign manager,
Aleksandr Arzumanian, and the chairman of the former ruling Armenian
Pan-National Movement (HHSh), Ararat Zurabian.
According to Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian, the authorities are
preparing to lay criminal charges against Ter-Petrosian as well.
"Today law-enforcement agencies conducting the investigation already
have sufficient evidence to instigate criminal action against Levon
Ter-Petrosian," Danielian told AFP news agency on Monday.
Asked to comment on this statement, a spokeswoman for the Office
of the Prosecutor-General said, "The investigative body will make
appropriate decisions based on evidence obtained by it. I can’t say
who will be charged tomorrow or the day after."
A spokesman for Ter-Petrosian, for his part, said the former president
is undaunted by the prospect of his arrest. "This criminal regime is
prepared for anything," Arman Musinian told RFE/RL. "We will continue
our struggle in any case."
(Photolur photo: Bryza pictured with top U.S. Embassy officials during
his visit to Yerevan last week.)