FEAR OF revealing the TRUTH – the reason for persecuting HUMAN RIGHTS
defenders IN BAKU by Orwellian “Big Brother”
29-08-2014 13:39:00 | Armenia | Articles and Analyses
AUTHOR: MG Hayk Kotanjian, Doctor of Political Sciences; Chairman of
Political Science Association of Armenia; Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary –
Expressing Armenian colleagues’ any attitude towards the neighboring
country’s human rights defenders persecuted with accusations of high
treason by Baku authorities is extremely difficult. We are talking
about the opponents with whom we had to argue over the fundamental
issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement at almost all international
academic-expert forums organized under the auspices of the
international community. On the other hand, these are thecolleagues,
who, for the most part, having certain professional qualification and
adhering to international standards of independent academic studies,
could not but understand that peaceful and fair resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is based on the political and legal fact of
practical exercise of the right to self-determination by the
Nagorno-Karabakh people with infallible use of legislative tools of
direct democracy in compliance with the “USSR Law on Secession of a
Soviet Republic from the USSR” which was in force in late 1991.[i]
At the same time, the neighboring country’s human rights defenders as
a result of independent studies, and due to the very essence of the
academic pursuit of the truth, could not but come to the unbiased
conclusion that in context of Azerbaijan’s withdrawal from the USSR
jurisdiction before the Karabakh referendum and the USSR’s
breakup[ii], a consent obtained on the results of the legitimate
plebiscite with the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan and the USSR
lost its legislative imperativeness.[iii]
These experts, being committed to the requirements of academic
objectivity, know that the legality of the right to
self-determination, exercised by the Karabakh Armenians, is founded
also on the fact of Azerbaijani minority’s equal involvement in the
preparation and conduct of the referendum, which is established in
verifiable documents. The human rights defenders in Baku as a result
of unbiased research could not but reveal the truth consisting in the
fact that the reason for Karabakh Azerbaijanis’ non-participation in
the law-governed referendum was the decision of Baku authorities to
boycott the Karabakh referendum.[iv]
Thus, the authorities’ awareness of objective provability of academic
truth of the fact of legality of the Karabakh referendum and the
subsequent process of the NKR’s institution-building as a de facto
legitimate democratic state is the main reason for the persecution of
human rights defenders carrying out studies within international
academic-expert community.[v]
Thereby, the fundamental choice between the academic commitment to the
truth or to its deliberate distortion has been put as a main reason
for which the neighboring country’s human rights defenders are
incriminated for the high treason. It should be noted that in these
terms, to come out in favor of the colleagues persecuted by Baku
authorities, is no easy task. Considering the realities of political
persecution, and seeking the truth in support of the persecuted
colleagues from Azerbaijan, we have to look to the “do no harm”
principle.
Meanwhile, international support for Azerbaijani activists of “public
diplomacy”, subjected to repression by Baku authorities, drew the
leading policymakers of the world and human rights organizations into
its orbit. The arrest of Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute for
Peace and Democracy, charged with spying for foreign countries,
attracts special attention. Baku authorities declared the lady to be
secret service agent of the Republic of Armenia; the Main Intelligence
Directorate, General Staff, Armed Forces, Russian Federation; and the
State Department and CIA, US.
Many politicians and human rights organizations seem puzzled at the
fact that Baku authorities having launched repressions against its own
civil society activists involved in the academic-expert discussion of
the issues of peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict, chair the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, designed to further
cooperation among the European countries in the areas of developing
legal standards of vital activity of the European community, human
rights and democracy promotion.
The colleagues from international analytical community, representing
think tanks and universities of the US, Europe, Eurasia and Russia,
while commenting on the June 2014 speech by the head of the
neighboring state and his answers to the questions in the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as to the facts of
persecution of the human rights defenders in Azerbaijan, find
parallels between the behavior of the Azerbaijani authorities and the
dictatorship of “Big Brother” in the fictional state of “Oceania”,
described by George Orwell in his masterpiece pamphlet “1984”.
As we know, Orwell describes a regime of total control not only over
the political actions of the civil society members, but also their
so-clled “thought crime”, which was a vile sin in “Oceania” and was
punishable by death. Under such a dictatorship, not even a deed, but
merely the very thought of it falls within the concept of “thought
crime”. Rules of behavior under these conditions run as follows –
“thinking about an offense a person signs his own death sentence,
which sooner or later, but always inevitably overtakes him within the
walls of the “Ministry of Love”. The repressive body, uncovering
“thought crime” is the “Thought Police”. And the public censure of the
“thought-crime” and “thought-criminals”, and justification of their
cruel punishment under the dictatorship of its Head – “Big Brother” is
provided by the “Ministry of Truth”.
The colleagues from the international academic-expert community,
indignant at repression against the human rights defenders in Baku
engaged in “public diplomacy”, see in their propagandistic denigration
the hand of Baku’s “Ministry of Truth” which on the grounds identified
by Orwell “destroys, alters or adapts the facts, if the figures,
opinions or forecasts they contain do not comply with the requirements
of “Big Brother”. In the “Ministry of Truth” even the history is
scraped out as an old parchment and written anew – as many times as
needed. Then the scrape-out is forgotten, and the lie becomes the
truth.” Drawing parallels it can be stated that by conducting
prejudiced checks of the participants of conferences and workshops
held under the auspices of respected international organizations and
covering the issues of peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, faults are found, inflated to the caliber of a criminal
case, and then elevated to the category of felonies including high
treason by Baku’s “Thought Police”, “Ministry of Truth” and “Ministry
of Love”.
As described by the British author of the brilliant dystopian novels
“1984” and “Animal Farm”, “Big Brother’s” dictatorship principles in
such regimes conform to the following formulae:”The purpose of
repression is the repression. The purpose of torture is the torture.
The purpose of power is the power.”
The Orwellian formulation of “Big Brother’s” strategic priorities –
“Who controls the past, he controls the future, who controls the
present, he controls the past,” etc. can serve as an exact explanation
of the policy objectives of Baku’s dictatorship falsifying political
and legal facts of the present and the past.
Now a few words about my personal impressions of Leyla Yunus,
following the May 11, 1992 discussion of the fact of taking the town
of Shushi by the Armenian forces (the night of 7th to 8th of May, 1992
may be the night of 8th to 9th) at Azerbaijan’s Permanent Mission in
Moscow which I attended as a political columnist on Transcaucasia of
the newspaper “Russia”, Supreme Council (Parliament) RF.
The victorious outcome of the military operation “Wedding in the
Mountains” planned by the competent professionals of the Armenian army
literally resulted in hysterical speeches of the present Azerbaijanis,
who introduced themselves as sponsors of the war waged against the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic by the Popular Front of Azerbaijan who has
been coming in power in Azerbaijan.
Journalists from the Russian and foreign media were invited to the
press conference at Azerbaijan’s Permanent Mission with notification
of the planned meeting with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense Rahim
Gaziyev. Judging by the violent criticism of the Azerbaijani audience
it was the Minister of Defense Gaziyev whom they were looking to for
explanations. However, he did not come. And Leyla Yunusova (now Yunus)
assumed the burden of responsibility for the defeat. She spoke not
from the standpoint of human rights protection, but as a
representative of the Minister – “the culprit of defeat”. Being
appointed to the position of head of the Azerbaijan’s Ministry of
Defense Information Service just four days before the victory of
Armenians in Shushi, during two and a half hours she could withstand
the attacks of the shocked Azerbaijani financial backers of the war
against Karabakh.
Listening to Leyla Yunus and Azerbaijani participants of the press
conference, dumbfounded by the political, legal and military
impeccability of the Armenian sides activities, I, due to Shushi
victory, consolidated my respect for the century-long martial
traditions of Karabakh Armenians, having inscribed in the history of
victorious wars the names of 5 Marshals and the Admiral of the Fleet
of the USSR. Suffice it to mention that the Chiefs of Staff of the
Soviet Navy and the Soviet Air Force at certain stages of the Second
World War were Armenian commanders of Karabakh origin – Ivan Isakov,
Admiral of the Fleet, USSR, and Armenak Khanfperiants-Khudyakov,
Marshal of Aviation, USSR.[vi]
The leaders of the Karabakh national liberation movement jointly with
the Nagorno-Karabakh Government-in-exile acting in
Moscow,[vii]established at the initiative of the USSR People’s Deputy
Zori Balayan and the Head of Special Programs under the Government of
Armenia Ashot Manucharyan, as a result of the punitive
anti-Armenianoperation “Ring” in Northern Artsakh, traced the
challenges of the Ogarevo and Novo-Ogarevo processes, as well as the
activities of the State Committee on the State of Emergency, and
immediately after its downfall they launched institution-building
process in line with the requirements of international law and the
then effective Soviet legislation.[viii]
Now, after 22 years, in the aftermath of the recent failed attempts to
demonstrate the power of Azerbaijan on the frontline I am again
convinced of the far-sightedness of the Karabakh Armenians, who, in
contrast to the neighboring country’s focus on fierce pogroms and
armed violence, preferred law-governed solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance with the legislation and
political realities.
Political science in its independent and impartial application to the
study of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict leads to the irrefutable truth
of the de facto legitimate and democratic character of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Returning to the mass repressions launched against the human rights
defenders by the instance of Leyla Yunus, I want to emphasize that
here the main goal of the totalitarian regime of Azerbaijan is the
elimination of the community of qualified independent analysts of
internal and external political processes, including the peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Thereby, Baku authorities
destroy the academic-expert ground for developing an impartial
political and legal basis for the peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, ending in mutual recognition of the
Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.[ix]
Baku’s “Big Brother” with his “Ministry of Truth”, “Ministry of Love”
and “Thought Police” should know that its policy of systemic
distortion of facts of both the current events and the history, as
well as justification of repression against the human rights defenders
is strongly condemned by the international academic-expert community.
Besides,it highlights the unacceptability of the fact that the
Chairman of the Council of Europe’s decision-making body – the
Committee of Ministers aimed at facilitating cooperation among the
countries of Europe in the field of human rights and democracy
promotion, in the case of Azerbaijan holds the banner of total
dictatorship of “Big Brother” in his hands.
There may be only one conclusion: the reason for persecution of human
rights defenders in Baku by Orwellian “Big Brother” is the fear of
revealing the truth.
________________________________
[i]óÃ. úÃËÃÃŽ óóóò “ï ÃÃÒÑÄËÅ ÒÅÛÅÎÉÑ ×ÃÃÃ’ÃÓÃ×, Ó×ÑÚÃÎÎÙÈ Ó ×ÙÈÃÄÃÃ
ÓÃÀÚÎÃÊ ÒÅÓÃÕÌÉËÉ ÉÚ óóóò” No1410-1 ÃÔ 3 ÃÃÒÅÌÑ 1990 Ç.” ÷ÅÄÃÃÃÓÔÉ
óßÅÚÄà ÎÃÃ’ÃÄÎÙÈ ÄÅÃÕÔÃÔÃ× óóóò, ÷ÅÒÈÃ×ÎÃÇà óÃ×ÅÔà óóóò”, 1990, No15;
úÃËÃÃŽ áÚò “à ÕÃÃ’ÃÚÄÎÅÎÉÉ îëáï áÚò”, 26 ÃŽÃÑÒÑ 1991 ÇÃÄÃ. ÷ÅÄÃÃÃÓÔÉ ÷ó
áÚò, 1991, No24;. áËÔ à ÒÅÚÕÌØÔÃÔÃÈ ÒÅÆÅÒÅÎÄÕÃà à ÎÅÚÃ×ÉÓÉÃÃÓÔÉ
îÃÇÃÃ’ÃŽÃ-ëÃÃ’ÃÃÈÓËÃÊ òÅÓÃÕÌÉËÉ, 10 ÄÅËÃÒÑ 1991Ç. Ç. óÔÅÃÃÃŽÃËÅÒÔ,
îÃÇÃÃ’ÃŽÃ-ëÃÃ’ÃÃÈÓËÃÑ òÅÓÃÕÌÉËÃ, ÃÉÎÉÓÔÅÒÓÔ×à éÎÃÓÔÒÃÎÎÙÈ äÅÌ): –
().
[ii]áÌÃÃ-áÔÉÎÓËÃÑ äÅËÌÃÃ’ÃÃÉÑ, áÌÃÃ-áÔÃ, 21 ÄÅËÃÒÑ 1991 Ç. à ÒÉÄÉÞÅÓËÃÑ
òÃÓÓÉÑ. æÅÄÅÒÃÌØÎÙÊ ÃÃ’Ã×Ã×Ã×Ê ÃÃÒÔÃÃŒ (v.3.2.).
,100063824#text
[iii]óÃ. ëïîóôéôõãéïîîùê áëô áúåòáêäöáîóëïê òåóðõìéëé ï
çïóõäáòóô÷åîîïê îåúá÷éóéÃïóôé áúåòáêäöáîóëïê òåóðõìéëé:
[iv]óÃ.: ICES: ÷ÚÃÉÃÃŽÃÃ… ÃÒÉÚÎÃÎÉÅ áÚÅÒÃÊÄÖÃÎà É îÃÇÃÃ’ÃŽÃÇà ëÃÃ’ÃÃÈà –
ÚÃÃŒÃÇ ËÃÎÓÔÒÕËÔÉ×ÎÙÈ ÃÅÒÅÇÃ×ÃÃ’Ã×. çÃÊË ëÃÔÃÎÄÖÑÎ, 2 ÄÅËÃÒÑ 2013:
[v]”EUROPE ET ORIENT”. “Institution-building in Karabakh: The NKR is a
de facto legitimate democratic state”by Major General Hayk Kotanjian
[vi] òÅÞØ ÉÄÅÔ à ÓÌÅÄÕÀÃÉÈ ÃÃÌËÃ×ÃÄÃÃÈ ËÃÃ’ÃÃÈÓËÃÇà ÃÃ’ÃÉÓÈÃÖÄÅÎÉÑ:
ÃÃÒÛÃÌÅ óÃ×ÅÔÓËÃÇà óÃÀÚà ï×ÃÎÅÓÅ ÃÇÒÃÃÑÎÅ, áÄÃÉÒÃÌÅ æÌÃÔà óóóò é×ÃÃŽÃ…
éÓÃËÃ×Å, ÃÃÒÛÃÌÅ Ã×ÉÃÃÉÉ áÒÃÃ…ÃŽÃËÅ èÃÎÆÅÒÑÎÃÅ-èÕÄÑËÃ×, ÃÃÒÛÃÌÅ
Ã’ÃÎÅÔÃÎËÃ×ÙÈ ×ÃÊÓË áÃÃÚÃÓÃÃ… ÃÃÄÖÃÎÑÎÅ É ÃÃÒÛÃÌÅ ÉÎÖÅÎÅÒÎÙÈ ×ÃÊÓË
óÅÒÇÅÅ áÇÃÃŽÃ×Å.
[vii]”ðÃËÃÊÎÙÊ à ÒÉÊ ÃÒÓÅÇÃ× ×ÙÃÃÌÎÑÌ ËÃÎÆÉÄÅÎÃÉÃÌØÎÕÀ ÃÉÓÓÉÀ ÃÉÎÉÓÔÒÃ
ÀÓÔÉÃÉÉ ÃÃ’Ã×ÉÔÅÌØÓÔ×à × ÉÚÇÎÃÎÉÉ îÃÇÃÃ’ÃŽÃÇà ëÃÃ’ÃÃÈÃ: ËÃÌÌÅÇÔ,
11.08.2008:
02.07.2014pda.regnum.ru/news/1039699.html
[viii]”éÎÓÔÉÔÕÃÉÃÃŽÃÌØÎÃÃ… ÓÔÒÃÉÔÅÌØÓÔ×à × ëÃÃ’ÃÃÈÅ: îëò – ÄÅ-ÆÃËÔÃ
ÌÅÇÉÔÉÃÃŽÃÃ… ÄÅÃÃËÒÃÔÉÞÅÓËÃÃ… ÇÃÓÕÄÃÒÓÔ×Ô, 02.07.2014:
[ix]ICES: ÷ÚÃÉÃÃŽÃÃ… ÃÒÉÚÎÃÎÉÅ áÚÅÒÃÊÄÖÃÎà É îÃÇÃÃ’ÃŽÃÇà ëÃÃ’ÃÃÈà – ÚÃÃŒÃÇ
ËÃÎÓÔÒÕËÔÉ×ÎÙÈ ÃÅÒÅÇÃ×ÃÃ’Ã×. çÃÊË ëÃÔÃÎÄÖÑÎ, 2 ÄÅËÃÒÑ 2013:
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