David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusive to VK
On June 29 the head of the ORT unit of the Central Military Clinical Hospital, Major of Medical Corps, Vage Avetyan, died in Yerevan. His death was caused by a beating committed on June 17 in the restaurant Arcnakar which belongs to the PM from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, president of the Football Federation of Armenia, Ruben Ayrapetyan (German Rubo).
After the death of the military doctor the residents of Yerevan burnt candles on the bridge near to where the accident happened, showing the consolidation of society. It was a kind of protest by people annoyed with illegality and violence spread by oligarchs and indifference of the authorities. However, the policemen, controlling the territory of the restaurant complex, didn’t let people park in front of Arsnakar. Ruben Ayrapetyan who came to the restaurant publicly beat the human rights activist of the Helsinki Civil Association, Arman Veziryan. In response to that people blocked the Avan highway passing near to the restaurant complex. But the police applied force and managed to restore traffic. Then people headed to the private house of Ruben Ayrapetyan in the district of Avan. The march was followed by significant police forces (several hundred people) who didn’t allow the protest demonstrators to come near the house entrance. The participants of the action had nothing to do but turn back to Ayrapetyan’s house and organize a five-minute flash-mob.
It is interesting that the criminal case initiated according to the article 112 of the CC was sent from the investigation committee of the Ministry of Defense to the investigation department of the Yerevan Police Department by the order of General Prosecutor, Agvan Ovsepyan. Six people were arrested, two of them are employees of the security service of the restaurant, one is a manager and one is a waiter. One of the security service employees is Garik Markaryan whose photos were published in the mass media which said that he was the main beater of the military doctors. Earlier the head of the police of Armenia, Vladimir Gasparyan, and the Defense Minister, Seyran Oganyan, stated that those who are guilty would be punished to the fullest extent of the law. However, it is doubtful. Many people expressed indignation on Arsnakar’s case, but those people who should give an appraisal of the events are silent.
A growing culture of violence is vicious not only for separate people, but also for the national security. The society demands Ayrapetyan to withdraw from the parliament and the top management of the Football Federation. Moreover, it was demanded to sell Arsnakar and give benefited money to the family of Avetyan.
It is interesting that on the day of Avetyan’s death security guards of the same PM beat a driver of a mini-bus. The driver was blamed of the fact that he had to cut up a Toyota which belonged to Ayrapetyan’s security guard so as not to crash into a trolleybus. The guard was beating the driver and saying: “Who are you to cut me up!” After the incident the powerful guard forbade the victim to go to hospital.
Ayrapetyan himself denies his guilt in Avetyan’s death, he even expresses readiness to “help in finding those who are guilty.” He is even ready to leave the parliament. But it seems that Ayrapetyan’s resignation is only a thoughtful PR action by the management of the ruling party, and it has no legal background.
It was Serge Sargsyan who urged Ayrapetyan to resign. It seems they want to convince the society one more time that only President can settle all issues in the country.
The parliament undertakes nothing in this situation too. PMs from the faction of the Armenian National Congress joined protest demonstrations against the Arsnakar incident and stated that it is impossible to convene an extra session of the parliament because of a lack of signatures. It is strange that the amount of signatures will be insufficient, as the whole number of mandates of political forces with demand discussion and investigation of the incident in the parliament is more than 50. And for convening of an extra session only 44 mandates are demanded. It seems the session won’t take place because the idea is not supported by Prosperous Armenia headed by the oligarch, Gagik Tsarukyan.
Prosperous Armenia has already called for the society not to politicize the issue; but people don’t do it, in other case they would demand resignation of Ayrapetyan’s boss, Serge Sargsyan. It would be more logical for PA to join the initiative on an extra session, if it tries to play the opposition role. Therefore, the Arsnakar case once again demonstrated the true face of Prosperous Armenia which takes a significant part in the built firm oligarchic political system of Armenia.
