2008 Armenian presidential election protests
Encyclopedia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
in the wake of the Armenian presidential election
Armenian presidential election, 2008
A presidential election was held in Armenia on 19 February 2008. Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan won the election in the first round according to official results, but this is disputed by former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, who officially placed second.The candidacy of Sargsyan was...
of 19 February 2008. Mass protests against alleged electoral fraud were held in the capital city of Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
and organised by supporters of the unsuccessful presidential candidate and first President of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrossian
Levon Ter-Petrossian
Levon Ter-Petrossian , sometimes transliterated Levon Ter-Petrosyan or Ter-Petrosian , was the first President of Armenia from 1991 to 1998...
.
After nine days of peaceful protests at the Opera Square, the national police and military forces tried to disperse the protesters on 1 March. The protests began on February 20, lasted for 10 days in Yerevan's Liberty Square, and involved tens of thousands of demonstrators during the day and hundreds camping out overnight. Despite the urges of the government to stop the demonstrations, the protests continued until March 1. On the morning of March 1, police and army units dispersed the 700-1,000 persons who remained overnight, beating them with truncheons and electric-shock devices. As of March 4, many protesters are still missing. Since March 1, Ter-Petrossian was placed under de facto house arrest.
At noon on 1 March, a crowd of at least 10,000 protesters held a rally in front of the French embassy. Police officers pulled away from the area by 16:00, as they were overwhelmed by the growing number of demonstrators. Activists then used abandoned police buses to set up barricades. In the evening, clashes broke out between riot police and about 2,000 protesters who barricaded themselves at Miasnikyan Square. At around 22:00, President
President of Armenia
President of Armenia is the title of the head of state of Armenia since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.-Democratic Republic of Armenia :*Avetis Aharonyan *Avetik Sahakyan *Avetis Aharonyan -Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and Armenian...
Robert Kocharyan, with the approval of the Armenian parliament, declared a 20-day state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
, banning future demonstrations and censoring the media from broadcasting any political news except those issued by official state press releases. Kocharian justified the decision on the grounds that a minority of demonstrators looted a nearby grocery store on Mashdots Avenue and set fire to a handful of police vehicles and buses (while the riot police, special forces and army looked on from 1 km away from Shahumyan Square without intervening). Opposition leaders say that the looters had nothing to do with the demonstration, and that they were led by government provocateurs. With the state of emergency in effect, at around 4:00 on 2 March, Levon Ter-Petrossian asked the protesters near the French Embassy to go home, thus ending the protests.
Background
Levon Ter-Petrossian was the President of Armenia from October 16, 1991 to February 3, 1998. He was forced to step down in February 1998 on allegations of defeatism in connection to the ongoing negotiations with AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
over Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
. He was succeeded by his then Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Robert Kocharyan who opposed Ter-Petrossian's concessions to Azerbaijan. Kocharyan was re-elected for a second term as president on March 5, 2003 amid allegations of electoral fraud. In early 2004 there were demonstrations by opposition-led protestors and calls for Kocharyan's resignation. Kocharyan completed his second term as president on February 2008 and under the Armenian constitution
Armenian constitution
*Armenian Constitution constitutional project for the Armenians, named Vorogait Paratz , written in Madras by Hakob Shahamirian and the Madras Group*Armenian Constitution Constitution of the Armenian Ottoman Millet...
was not eligible for a third term. Kocharyan's Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan had Kocharyan's backing for his candidacy as the next president. Ter-Petrossian was also a candidate for this election, having announced his candidacy during a speech in Yerevan on October 26, 2007, in which he accused Kocharyan's government of massive corruption involving the theft of "at least three to four billion dollars" over the previous five years. The election was held on February 19, 2008 and Sargsyan won the election with 53% of the vote, according to official results, with Ter-Petrossian in second place with 22% of the vote. Under Armenia's electoral law, if neither candidate wins at least 50% of the votes, the top two contenders have to face each other in a second round of the elections. International observers from the OSCE, PACE
PACE
-Associations:* Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers International Union* National PACE Association* Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence-Educational programs:...
and the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
had said that "the presidential election in Armenia mostly satisfied the international standards".
Timeline
The protests began on February 20; about 25,000 opposition supporters were reportedly present on February 21. Ter-Petrossian said that the army would not act against the protesters, claiming to have the support of two deputy defense ministers. An aide to Ter-Petrossian vowed that the protests would continue "nonstop" and demanded that the government agree to holding a new election by February 22. On February 21, two members of the Central Election Commission who are representatives of the opposition said that they did not accept the results, and on the next day, Vahan Hovhannisian resigned from his position as deputy speaker of National Assembly of ArmeniaNational Assembly of Armenia
The Azgayin Zhoghov of Armenia is the official name of the legislative branch of the government of Armenia.-History:Until the promulgation of the Hatt-i Sharif of 1839, the patriarch and his clients, within limits, possessed authority over Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire...
due to his disapproval of the handling of the election and said that the mechanism of falsifications were put in operation in 1996 by Ter-Petrossian. Protests continued on February 22, and Deputy Prosecutor-General Gagik Jhangirian condemned the election, urging the people to act immediately to defend their votes, rather than complaining later about the government's behavior. A spokesperson for Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian asked Kocharyan to dismiss Jhangirian because prosecutors cannot be members of any party or to be involved in politics in any way The Defense Ministry denied Ter-Petrossian's claim that the two deputy defense ministers had said that they would prevent the army from being used against the protesters, but the veterans' group Yerkrapah disputed this denial.
Protests were held without an official permission. Part of the cause for the protest were oppositions claim that there were widespread violations, and the suppression of this belief. Armenian Public Television
Armenian Public Television
Public Television of Armenia , is Armenia's public television station that began transmissions in 1956.-Early years:Armenia Public Television dates back to September 5, 1955 when the USSR Council of Ministers made the decision to construct 27 programme centres and five transmission stations in the...
(H 1) has received criticism for failing to show the intense protesting, instead promoting a peaceful aura following the election.
February 22
On the third day of the protests, 22 February, the number of protesters was reported as about 30,000. Sarkisyan called the protests "blackmail' and said that if they violated the law, order would be restored through force. The opposition's Alexander ArzoumanianAlexander Arzoumanian
Alexander Arzoumanian was Armenia’s first ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations . He served as minister of foreign affairs from 1996 until his resignation, with President Levon Ter-Petrossian, in 1998...
, however, said that the government did not have the courage to attempt to break up the protests. On 23 February, the number of protesters was reported as about 50,000. Kocharyan accused the opposition of trying to seize power and warned that the government would act to preserve order. Meanwhile, the police released a statement saying that they were "prepared to resolutely respond to any attempts to disturb public order and destabilize the situation, prevent extremist manifestations, and protect people's constitutional rights". The statement denied the rumored resignation of police chief Aik Arutyunian.
February 23
Jhangirian was dismissed as Deputy Prosecutor-General by Kocharyan on 23 February and detained later that day. On February 27 Gagik Jahangiryan was arrested and accused of violating the article 235.1 of the Armenia Penal Code (illegal purchase, traffic and storage of weapons, explosive assemblies) and article 316.1 (application of force against a public agent).February 25
February 25 saw steady numbers of protesters at Opera Square during the day, estimated at 40-50,000. Ter-Petrossian made several appearances, and in each called for a peaceful rally, frequently alluding to the late-1980s when the Karabakh CommitteeKarabakh Committee
Karabakh Committee was a group of Armenian intellectuals recognized by many Armenians as their de facto leaders in the late 1980s. The Committee was formed in 1988 with the stated objective of the reunification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia...
was arrested by the Soviets. Ter-Petrossian said that he does not fear arrest nor assassination, and that if the ruling party had him killed, it would only accelerate its own demise. Also on February 25, Sarkis Chaghatzbanian, a diasporan Armenian from France, spoke twice, and alluded to the participation of Armenians in revolutionary movements in France and Germany, and how the turn has come for Armenia. Around 10-15,000 people continued to participate in the rally well into midnight, some staying overnight in tents.
February 26
On February 26, there were widespread reports that high school administrators had been directed by the ruling party to have their students participate in a pro-Sargsyan rally held in Republic Square. Many e-mail services had been blocked since the morning of February 26, including Hotmail, Gmail, and thick-client email programs using the IMAP protocol.Several prominent supporters of Ter-Petrossian were arrested on February 26. On that day competing rallies were held, with Sargysan's supporters reported to number up to 100,000. Ter-Petrossian claimed that the numbers attending his rally had doubled because people were leaving Sargysan's rally to come to his. Meanwhile, the National Security Service said that it had prevented an opposition plot to seize a television broadcasting tower in Yerevan; it said that the purpose of this alleged plot, for which several people were arrested, was to enable Ter-Petrossian to make a live broadcast. An opposition spokesman dismissed this as "psychological pressure". Also on February 26, Kocharyan suggested that his government's patience with the protests had "a limit" and urged people to "come to their senses".
February 27
On February 27, an even larger group of protesters than previous days marched on the streets along Abovian and Mashdots Avenue. The evening again saw protester numbers in the tens of thousands, with an increasing number of tents. The crowd was mixed, there were groups of villagers (tens in each), students, families with children, government workers, in addition to opposition leaders. At around 11:30 pm some protesters started to rush towards the cafe adjacent to Liberty Square named "Karapi Lij" (Swan Lake). A protest leader announced that all available journalists should go there to photograph "something interesting" that was about to happen, and also called for the general populace to return to the square. Several score of military police, civil police, as well as secret police went into the subterranean cafe, emerging after 15–20 minutes with 3 arrested suspects who were secret provocateurs with undercover recording equipment trying to get opposition leaders (who were in the cafe) to say or perform illegal acts. Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) acknowledged that the agents urging the opposition leaders to resort to violence were its employees. Secret police (which outnumbered uniformed police and military 3 to 1) would not allow journalists to take pictures, however some were able to (despite their threats of impending danger to journalists' personal safety or destruction of their cameras). The rally later continued without interruption.February 28
On February 28, starting from the morning, police cars surrounded the streets around Liberty Square, not allowing passengers to be dropped off or picked up, let alone to park.February 29
As of the night of February 29, there were 132 tents set up in Liberty Square and occupied by 24-hour protesters. During the day, another march around town attracted an even larger group of ralliers, with at least 100,000 participants.March 1
By 11:00 am, Liberty Square was completely cordoned off by police and large water cannons were being used to clear the site of debris and blood (with riot police trying to prevent passersby from taking photographs). The Karapi Lich cafe was cordoned off with a large canvas so that it could not be seen what took place inside. It is rumored that part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army is the formal defense force of the unrecognized but de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
was brought in to do the actual beatings, since the Yerevan police were reluctant to do so.
As of 6:30 pm, at least 30 buses, each with about 30 army soldiers armed with AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles, were seen near Republic Square (in anticipation of Kocharian's state of emergency).
Around 10:30 pm, Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency. This meant that that "all rallies and other public gatherings will be banned in Yerevan until March 20. It also places serious restrictions on press freedom, with local media outlets allowed to report only official news communiqués."
Clashes between the police and security forces and agitated protesters seem to have occurred on at least three occasions during the course of 1 March: The first in the morning hours, the second at around 9:15pm, and the third late night. According to eyewitnesses (among them an RFE/RL correspondent) security forces—without prior warning—fired tracer bullets
Tracer ammunition
Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
over the crowd for more than 40 minutes in an attempt to disperse the crowd (this is confirmed in an independent YouTube video). In the meantime, a unit of riot troops charged towards one of the barricades but fled the scene after unsuccessful pitched battles with opposition supporters who were armed with sticks, stones and Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s.
Shortly after the event, a controversial independent video appeared on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
showing special forces firing automatic weapons directly into the crowd, directly followed by a clip in which the Prosecutor General's press secretary (Sona Truzyan) claims that police did not fire any weapons into the crowd. Government sources claimed that the video footage was faked and that it was digitally doctored.
Midnight and early morning
By 12:00am, the area around the French embassy had only about 5,000 activists left. The police stood about 1/2 km north at Shahumyan Square, passively watching as anarchy reigned on the area below. Miyasnikyan square to Mashdots Avenue was completely devoid of any law enforcement, and authorities watched passively as some of the crowd looted some stores. Despite calls from opposition leaders throughout the demonstrations to restrain the use of violence, some in the crowd (allegedly encouraged by provocateurs ) resorted to property destruction (of cars, windows, public places) and looting of a grocery store and a shoe store. (ArmeniaNow reports that the 2 pharmacies and 4 electronics and computer stores were not looted.) By 1:00am, several buses and cars had been destroyed, set ablaze, or turned over near Miyasnikyan square. By 2:30 am, some of the bus loads of army soldiers were bused into Shahumyan square to join rows of riot police. Demonstrators were seen armed with metal bars (removed from park gates) and Molotov cocktails made from water bottles.Many of the demonstrators were not there to specifically support Levon Ter-Petrossian, but were there to show their support for a change in government. Only a minority of the group resorted to looting, and most of the crowd stayed within the vicinity of Miyasnikyan Square.
Official reports say that ten people died on the night of March 1; however, according to representatives of non- governmental organizations, the official number of injured civilians may be underreported, as several of those injured were turned away from hospitals and medical clinics on 1 March. According to the information given by the Head of Police and Prosecutor General, a police officer died trying to prevent a hand grenade from going off. Three civilians died from teargas cartridge and four from bullets. The Prosecutor General stated that the ammunitions had penetrated the bodies, which appears to indicate that they must have been fired at a very close range.
According to the Head of Police some protesters were armed with wooden sticks, iron sticks and "hedgehogs". He also stated that the protesters used fire arms - but this was contested by the representatives of the opposition who met with the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights.
Day time
As of 9am, Ter-Petrossian urged his supporters to go home from the protest, citing Kocharian's state of emergency. The government alleged that protesters were carrying firearms. However, other than metal bars and some Molotov cocktails, no reporters had seen arms in the possession of protesters.By 11 am, at least a dozen army armored personnel carriers and about 500 soldiers wielding assault rifles were positioned in Republic Square, maintaining the state of emergency's policy of a ban on public demonstrations and meetings. The stage at Liberty Square has been surrounded by 6 army transportation trucks. Photography was strictly prohibited.
Yerevan was said to be all but a ghost town, with soldiers outnumbering citizens.
The National Assembly confirmed Kocharyan's state of emergency, with 81 of the 131 members of parliament present voting in favor of it.
March 21
Liberty Square was occupied by busloads of police and interior troops who prevented citizens to enter Liberty Square; Shahumyan Square and Myasnikian Square similarly had rows of riot police who prevented a public assembly in the area. At 7 p.m. the assembled crowds of silent protesters dispersed as planned. Although the state of emergency has been lifted by law, the ban on public rallies is de facto still in place.
On the same day, the following campaign team members of Levon Ter-Petrosian were taken into custody: Vardan Galstyan, Davit Tzaghikyan, Onik Hakobyan, Suren Sujyan, Edvard Sarajanyan and Hakob Semirjyan.
March 22
Riot police continue to block public access to Liberty Square, Shahumyan Square, and Myasnikian Square; they were also in formation at Republic Square. Police dispersed a growing crowd—mostly composed of women—that was assembling at Northern Avenue. A Reuters reporter was notified by the police that any attempt by the public to hold a similar "silent protest" as the day before would be met by resistance from the police.State of Emergency
Late in the evening on March 1, President Kocharian declared a State of Emergency in the capital Yerevan for twenty days. The National Parliament endorsed the Presidential decree on Declaration of state of emergency the following day, 2 March. The State of Emergency entered into force immediately. The decree established the following temporary limitations under the State of Emergency:- It banned meeting, rallies, demonstrations, marches and other mass events;
- It banned strikes and other actions that could stop or suspend the activities of organizations;
- It limited the movement of individuals and the means of transportation and authorized inspections by the law enforcement bodies;
- It stipulates that mass media outlets could provide information on state and internal affairs only within the parameters of official information provided by state bodies;
- It banned political propaganda through leaflets or other means without due permission from relevant state bodies;
- It suspended temporarily the activity of political parties and other public organizations that impede the elimination of the circumstances that served as the grounds for declaring a State of Emergency;
- It authorized the removal from a given area those who violate the legal state of emergency regime and do not reside there, doing so at their own expense, or, in case of absence of means, using state budget resources to be refunded afterwards.
Ban on public gatherings
The Armenian military is maintaining a strict ban on public gatherings of even the smallest size.Media censorship
Under the state of emergency, mass media can only publish official government news.Several opposition media have been shut down, including A1plus and Haykakan Zhamanak.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Armenia Liberty radio service has been terminated by the Armenian authorities. The radio service's airings were at first accessible from their website at http://www.armenialiberty.org, but since March 6 even this website has been blocked by the Armenian government.
Internet censorship
In the evening of March 2, the Internet Society of Armenia (ISOC) froze the Internet domain name server entries in its DNS servers for several domains, including:- http://www.a1plus.am - domain of the opposition newspaper A1+ (news last updated March 1 can be retrieved outside of Armenia at http://75.125.179.218/en/ because A1+'s web servers are hosted outside of Armenia; the IP is unreachable within Armenia)
- www.armtimes.com website of the opposition newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak (editor-in-chief Nikol Pashinyan); its Yerevan-based ISP has disabled the account, although its IP remains available (http://217.113.0.244/)
- www.azatutyun.am - domain of RFE/RL's Armenia Liberty news service (it can still be accessed at http://www.armenialiberty.org from within Armenia)
- http://www.echannel.am
The YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
web site was blocked
Blocking of YouTube
YouTube, the third-most visited website in the world , has been censored several times in some countries since its inception....
blocked from March 6 to March 13; all IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
es of http://www.youtube.com (208.65.153.253, 208.65.153.238, and 208.65.153.251) were unreachable from within Armenia during this time. YouTube hosts a1plusnews as well as ArmeniaLiberty Channel in addition to numerous eyewitness videos of the events of March 1 and 2.
As of the evening of March 6, the IP addresses hosting the following web sites have been blocked by Armenian authorities:
- http://www.rferl.org -- website of RFE/RL
- http://www.armenialiberty.org/ -- main website of RFE/RL's Armenian Liberty
- http://www.zhamanak.com/ Zhamanak Armenian-American Political Daily (IP: 208.109.78.130)
- http://www.payqar.net/ and http://levonforpresident.com/ Opposition websites (IP: 64.14.73.15)
As of March 7, the websites of RFE/RL and Armenia Liberty were once again accessible from within Armenia, but as of the morning of March 8, they are once again inaccessible.
As of May 2009, several major websites were still blocked and/or disabled.
Government response
The President Elect Sargsian, during his meeting with EU special envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby, said "We are ready to cooperate with all those who wants Armenia to develop, its citizens to prosper, the country to be stable and strong, and we are ready for an open, straightforward and honest discussion". He also said that "those who incited recent riots had committed a crime and should be punished". The IncumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
President Kocharian said that "Armenian authorities were seeking to normalise the situation as soon as possible and restore stability".
Government officials have portrayed the events of March 1 purely as an attempted coup by the opposition. At least 97 Ter-Petrosian supporters have been jailed by authorities since the election, and have been charged with organizing “mass riots” and attempting to overthrow the government. The government-controlled National Assembly stripped four deputies allied to Ter-Petrosian of their legal immunity from prosecution.
On March 3, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Harutyunyan
Armen Harutyunyan
Armen Harutyunyan is the former ombudsman of Armenia and the current Regional Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia. He took office in February 2011.Harutyunyan was born in 1964 in Yerevan...
, issued a report critical of President Kocharyan's order of force.
New law banning rallies
The President and the Prime Minister expressed their wish to have the State of Emergency ended on 21 March. They were however concerned over the possibility of new demonstrations, rallies and riots in the streets. In this context, on 17 March, the Parliament initiated a first reading of proposed amendments to the law on holding meetings, rallies, marches, and demonstrations in an extraordinary session.On March 18, President Robert Kocharian signed into law a parliament bill that will make it easier for the Armenian authorities to ban fresh anti-government demonstrations planned by opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian.
The existing law had until then allowed authorities to ban those demonstrations which they believed were aimed, among other things, at a "violent overthrow of constitutional order." One of the amendments of the new law complements the clause with cases where authorities have "reliable information" that street protests would pose a threat to "state security, public order, public health and morality," and that any such information coming from the Armenian police and the National Security Service (NSS) will be automatically deemed "reliable."
Also, a more significant amendment to the existing law allows the authorities to "temporarily" ban rallies for an unspecified period of time after street gatherings resulting in casualties. The ban shall remain in force until the end of the official investigation into a particular case of deadly street violence. Furthermore, the amendments also stipulate that a responsible agency examine a request for holding a public event for 72 hours. Requests are to be submitted 5 days prior to the date of holding a public event.
According to the Council of Europe, these amendments entail "important changes and serious restrictions on the current national regime of freedom of assembly." Previously the municipal authorities only needed to be notified of the intent to hold rallies, demonstrations or manifestations. According to the Council of Europe, the amendments full conformity with article 11 paragraph 2 (the right to freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
can be questioned.
In addition to Sarkisian's Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
(HHK), parliamentary leaders of the Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia is a political party in Armenia. It was founded by Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman, in late 2005. It debuted in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, winning 18 seats and 14.68% of the votes, making it the second largest political party in parliament.-External...
, Dashnaktsutyun and Orinats Yerkir parties supported the new bill; Only members of Zharangutyun, the sole opposition party represented in the parliament, and independent lawmaker Victor Dallakian voted against the legislation.
Response of coalition government parties
Artur BaghdasarianArtur Baghdasarian
Artur Baghdasarian is an RA politician and former Chairman of the National Assembly of RA. He is the leader of the pro-government Rule of Law party. He is married and has two children....
, leader of the Rule of Law party
Rule of Law (Armenia)
Rule of Law is a centrist political party in Armenia, led by Artur Baghdasarian. It is the fourth largest party in the Armenian National Assembly...
and former opposition leader who switched sides after the election, and Gagik Tsarukian
Gagik Tsarukian
Gagik Kolyai Tsarukyan ,, also known by his nickname Dodi Gago is an Armenian politician and a wealthy businessman. He is seen as the most influential of Armenia's government-connected "oligarchs" and key business partner of Kocharyan owning over a dozen big businesses and living in a very large...
, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party made a joint statement with Sarkisian where they blamed the deadly clashes on Ter-Petrossian, claiming that they had been "methodically and cruelly" planned by Ter-Petrosian beforehand as part of his plan to illegally seize power.
In a March 3 statement, the Dashnakstutyun defended the deadly use of force against thousands of Ter-Petrosian supporters who demonstrated in Yerevan on March 1 and called the protest an attempted coup d'état.
Opposition response
Opposition leaders who organized the rally disavowed and condemned March 1's looting of dozens of a nearby supermarket and burning of parked cars, blaming them on government "provocateurs." “We have nothing to do with that,” said Nikol PashinianNikol Pashinian
Nikol Pashinian is an Armenian journalist, publicist and senior leader of the opposition movement led by former President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrossian...
, an opposition leader. “The authorities themselves are destabilizing the situation.”
During his March 11 news conference, Ter-Petrosian alleged that government agents provoked the unrest. "Not even one car had been scratched [during protests and marches] prior to March 1. So what happened?" Ter-Petrosian said, according to a report distributed by the Regnum news agency. "Provocateurs went after the protesters with clubs. … That was the reason the situation spiraled out of control, although it was brilliantly managed by authorities."
During the weekend of March 15–16, Ter-Petrosian and his opposition allies remaining at large held a meeting for the first time since the March 1 government attack, and said they will continue to work for regime change in Armenia by "legal and democratic means." Ter-Petrosian's office said that the participants of the meeting "reaffirmed their determination to fight against the kleptocratic
Kleptocracy
Kleptocracy, alternatively cleptocracy or kleptarchy, is a form of political and government corruption where the government exists to increase the personal wealth and political power of its officials and the ruling class at the expense of the wider population, often without pretense of honest...
system." During the week of March 10, the Ter-Petrosian's representatives requested permission from Yerevan mayor's office to hold a rally on March 21 (the day after the anticipated end of emergency rule); this request has been rejected.
Raffi Hovannisian
Raffi Hovannisian
Raffi K. Hovannisian is an American-born Armenian politician and former Foreign Minister of Armenia. He is the leader of the Heritage party....
's Zharangutyun party
Heritage (Armenia)
Heritage is a liberal and centrist, opposition political party in Armenia. The party emerged as the fifth largest party in the Armenian National Assembly after its debut in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections. It obtained 7 seats and a popular vote of 5.81%...
said in a statement that "the schism between the Armenian people and its government continues to expand," that the presidential ballot was fraudulent and that Armenians had a legitimate right to dispute its official results in the streets. It said the March 1 bloodshed resulted from the break-up of non-stop protests in Yerevan’s Liberty Square staged by the Ter-Petrosian camp. "The unconscionability displayed on February 19 and the brutality used to protect it on March 1 remain unresolved issues," said the statement. "No state of emergency, accompanied as it is by an aggressive, one-sided ‘public information’ vertical which deepens the public divide rather than healing it, will succeed in securing the collective amnesia of state and society."
Response to new law banning rallies
On March 18, Levon Ter-Petrossian rejected as unconstitutional the new amendments to Armenia's law (passed at an emergency session of the National Assembly on March 17) that will make it easier for authorities to ban new anti-government demonstrations. In a statement, his office said that the enacted amendments "blatantly violate" Armenians’ constitutionally guaranteed freedom of assembly and can therefore be ignored by citizens. "In these circumstances, it is the people’s legitimate right to ignore the illegal ban and reaffirm their freedom to hold rallies which is guaranteed by the constitution and international law." "In reality, this is an attempt to perpetuate the state of emergency," Levon Zurabian, an aide to Ter-Petrosian, told RFE/RL. "A regime which attacked peaceful demonstrators and whose illegal actions left many people dead is using its own crime as a pretext to restrict our people’s right to hold peaceful rallies... This shows that the authorities are terrified by the existing situation and that they admit having no popular support"Response of media
ArmeniaNow has announced that it will remain under a media blackoutMedia blackout
Media blackout refers to the censorship of news related to a certain topic, particularly in mass media, for any reason. A media blackout may be voluntary, or may in some countries be enforced by the government or state. The latter case is controversial in peacetime, as some regard it as a human...
until the State of Emergency has been suspended, because it feels that the "latest changes in Yerevan’s State of Emergency still leave wide control and leeway for media censorship which has already been exercised in state restrictions of newspapers on the first day of the revised provisions."
International reaction
The European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and some Western governments have demanded from the Armenian government a lifting of the 20-day state of emergency.
On March 2, Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch said in a statement: "The Armenian government should refrain from using violence and make clear that it won’t tolerate excessive use of force by police... A political crisis doesn’t give the government carte blanche in how it responds to demonstrators." "The Armenian government prides itself on having a democratic image," said Cartner. "Beating peaceful demonstrators is inconsistent with that image and violates its obligations under human rights law." In a second statement, Cartner said, "The Armenian government should swiftly investigate whether the police and army used lethal force against protesters in accordance with international standards. While the government has a duty to maintain civic order, lethal force may only be used when strictly necessary to protect life."
On March 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
said that Armenian authorities "should immediately lift restrictions on independent news reporting and the censorship of independent news Web sites." "We’re alarmed by this blatant attempt to censor news of the disputed election," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. "We call on Armenian authorities to withdraw the ban on independent news gathering and dissemination, and restore access to independent and opposition media."
On March 5, the Broadcasting Board of Governors
Broadcasting Board of Governors
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for all non-military, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S government. It was previously a department within the United States Information Agency until 1999.-Origins:Starting in...
(BBG), which oversees all non-military U.S. international broadcasting, said it "strongly objects to the blackout of independent media in Armenia." "Censorship and harassment of the media are the antithesis of democracy," said James K. Glassman, Chairman of the BBG.
On March 7, Kurt Volker, the US acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: "We don't believe that [a] further crackdown, further arrests, are the right way to go.” He went on to urge the immediate lifting of the state of emergency imposed by Kocharian on March 1.
Before his March 13 trip to Armenia, Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
’s visiting commissioner for human rights, said "I am concerned about the human rights situation in Armenia and the consequences of the declaration of the state of emergency... It is urgent to restore a situation where the activities of the media, political parties and non-governmental organisations are not hindered."
On March 12, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
reiterated its calls for the Armenian authorities to lift the state of emergency in Yerevan, release all political prisoners and agree to an "independent investigation" into the country’s deadly post-election unrest. The government of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, also said on behalf of the block, "The Presidency calls again upon the Armenian authorities to release citizens detained in connection with their political activities and to refrain from further arrests of opposition leaders."
On March 14, Thomas Hammarberg
Thomas Hammarberg
Thomas Hammarberg is a Swedish diplomat and human rights defender.He is currently the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg...
, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights
Commissioner for Human Rights
The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, mandated to promote the awareness of and respect for human rights in member states...
, called for an independent investigation into Armenia’s deadly post-election unrest and said opposition supporters arrested by the authorities in recent weeks have been ill-treated in custody. "There have been cases where there were problems... Some of those arrested have been beaten, which of course is not acceptable" he said after his meetings in Armenian prisons of the political prisoners. Hammarberg "appeared to have serious misgivings about the official version of events." "I really think that there is a need for a professional, independent and impartial inquiry into what happened," he said, adding that it should be conducted by special commission made up of individuals "trusted by the public." Hammarberg also told Kocharian and Sarkisian that the recent day’s easing of civil liberty restrictions stemming from the state of emergency in Yerevan is "not sufficient" and specifically urged them to abolish "censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
" of the Armenian media.
On March 18, after a 3-day visit to Armenia, Thomas Hammarberg
Thomas Hammarberg
Thomas Hammarberg is a Swedish diplomat and human rights defender.He is currently the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg...
called on the Armenian government to lift emergency measures, ensure media freedom and initiate an impartial investigation into recent violent acts. "The State of Emergency should be lifted in Armenia and an independent, impartial and transparent inquiry initiated to clarify what actually happened during the confrontations in Yerevan between the police and opposition demonstrators on 1 March," he said.
On March 20, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights
Commissioner for Human Rights
The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, mandated to promote the awareness of and respect for human rights in member states...
released a report summarizing his findings during his March 12–15 trip to Armenia. The report is critical of the government's abuse of force, stating, "It seems clear that excessive use of force was used by police and the security forces." According to the report the two sides—government authorities and opposition protesters—describe the events of March 1 "very differently." Since it is important in a human rights perspective to establish the basic facts, the report calls for a "comprehensive inquiry" that is "independent, impartial and transparent and perceived as credible by the whole population." Also, it criticized the behavior of riot police, stating, "A review seems necessary of the current riot control measures used by the police as serious mistakes were made."
Aftermath
The Armenian Medical Centre (the former Republican hospital) treated civilians which had concussions from the beating by the police in connection with arrest. A number of them claimed to have been persons only passing by the demonstration. One patient had been hit by a bullet which had perforated his jaw and he could not speak. Another civilian could not be visited as he was in severe condition and held in reanimation.
Several civilians who had sought medical assistance following the riots of 1 March had been denied assistance or turned down by the some hospitals. Also, it happened that patients released from the hospitals had been immediately arrested.
At least 106 members of the opposition have been arrested, and Levon Ter-Petrossian has been under de facto house arrest since March 1.
Arrests
According to article 130 of the Criminal Procedures Code, a person can be held for twenty-four hours without charges. Over 400 persons have been apprehended and asked to give testimony of the events on 1 March.On 13 March the Prosecutor General informed that over 95 persons had been arrested for having organized or participated in demonstrations and mass disturbances of public order. Information provided by non governmental sources on the 15 March stated that an additional 50 persons had been arrested, mostly outside of Yerevan in major cities of Armenia like Gyumri.
Police brutality
According to the Council of Europe Commissioner of Human Rights, Thomas HammarbergThomas Hammarberg
Thomas Hammarberg is a Swedish diplomat and human rights defender.He is currently the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg...
who visited a number of detainees in Nubarashen Prison, the Temporary holding facility of the National Security Service and the Holding Centre of Yerevan City Police Department, "the number of injured persons and detainees still after fourteen days showing marks of beating is clearly a matter of grave concern." The Commissioner has stated that allegations of police brutality should be investigated.
Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh
Skirmishes2008 Mardakert skirmishes
The 2008 Mardakert skirmishes began on March 4 after the 2008 Armenian election protests. It involved the heaviest fighting between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh since the 1994 ceasefire after the Nagorno-Karabakh War.Armenian sources accused...
between the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army is the formal defense force of the unrecognized but de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
and the Military of Azerbaijan were reported along the contact line near the Mardakert. These skirmishes were the worst fighting along the contact line since the ceasefire after the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
in 1994 and have caused several fatalities. The Armenian side blames Azerbaijan for trying to take advantage of unrest in Armenia. The Azeri side blames Armenia claiming that they are trying to divert attention from problems at home but Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has also said his country is ready to re-take the region by force, and has been buying the military hardware and ammunition to do so.
Constitutional Court decision
On 9 March 2008, the Constitutional Court officially rejected the opposition's claim that the election was rigged.Friday, February 29
This is the last night before the peaceful "camp-in" protest was violently stopped by riot police and special forces early the next morning. This day saw the number of tents rise to 132.Friday, March 21
This is the first day after the removal of the official state of emergency. However, a new amendment to Armenia's law passed by parliament allows the authorities to more easily ban new rallies.Easter Sunday, March 23
Being Easter Sunday, there was no organized demonstration on this day. Busloads of special forces, riot police, and military continued their illegal occupation of Liberty Square, preventing Armenian citizens of expressing their constitutional right to free assembly. As a member of the Council of EuropeCouncil of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
, the Armenian authorities are violating Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
, to which Armenia is a signatory.
External links
- Relative calm in Armenia video from RIANRíanIn J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Rían was a woman of the First House of the Edain in the First Age. She was the daughter of Belegund of the House of Bëor and cousin of Morwen Edhelwen. Her son was Tuor Eladar and her great-grandson Elrond Half-elven.Rían was only a young child during...
, Accessed March 3, 2008 - Google Earth map (KML) of March 1 demonstration and police clashes
- Levon Ter-Petrossian. "Silence on Armenia", Washington Post, Wednesday, March 5, 2008; A21
- Official Report of Republic of Armenia Ombudsman (Human Rights Defender), Armen Harutyunyan