YEREVAN—The US Embassy in Armenia issued a statement on Thursday condemning attacks on civic activists. Below is the text of the statement:
“The U.S. Embassy condemns the attacks against civic activists, including a U.S. citizen, that have been ongoing since August 22, 2013. As a result of the latest attack on September 5, two citizens were severely beaten and needed hospitalization, and one underwent surgery.
“Along with the attacks, there have been multiple reports of activists being followed, intimidated, and harassed. We urge the government of Armenia to take swift action to condemn the attacks and to investigate, and prosecute the perpetrators.
“The government should ensure that its citizens can exercise their fundamental rights of freedom of assembly, expression, and speech without fear of retribution.”
On the same note, Human Rights Watch, the international watchdog group also issued a statement condemning what it called “spate of violent attacks against peaceful protesters” in Armenia of late.
In a letter addressed to the Armenian police chief and the head of the Special Investigative Services, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, “officials should swiftly bring the attackers to justice and make clear that any violence against people for exercising their right to peaceful protest will be neither tolerated nor condoned.”
The group characterized the attacks as “a concerted effort to intimidate activists and should be effectively investigated.”
“If thugs keep jumping on protesters and beating them up as they leave for home, that’s hardly a coincidence,” said Giorgi Gogia, senior South Caucasus researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The police and other Armenian authorities need to be prepared to make clear that they are going to put a stop to these attacks, starting with effective investigations that lead to arrests and prosecutions.”
Too bad that the world’s second largest CIA office is still located in Armenia. Of course the US embassy will condemn the beatings, the activists in question actually work for them. I hope this act against Western activists signals the start of a serious campaign to weed out all of Washington’s troublemakers in Armenia. September 3 has shown as all that times are changing and better days lie ahead…
I’m baffled by how incredibly short-sighted and narrow-minded some people are. The first comment on this article is a shocking and scary example of how profound the Armenian servitude mentality is. In no other part of the world will you see a member of one ethnic group justify attacks on a member of that same ethnic group because x number of individuals threatened the interests of a THIRD PARTY. Whether you agree with them or not is irrelevant, but to say that it’s okay to attack people for what they believe is best for this country shows how disastrous and problematic importing the [Russian] Customs Union mentality is for the future of Armenia. This is what Russia depends on: an undemocratic, borderline authoritarian state that subjectively applies the law, has fraudulent elections, attacks its own citizens for engaging in civil society, and cheerleaders like Avetis to keep Armenia from becoming a place where a high standard of living, respect for the law, and social mobility exist.
The Armenia’s Russophiles are truly one of a kind; they so thorough in their love and adoration of the foreigner, that Russia’s enemies become their enemies, and suddenly hurting other Armenians is justifiable. This is why Armenians will never be able to collectively march ahead together, and will forever be tugged on by the leash of their owner. What a terrible shame…