Is he a Traitor of the Armenian Nation?

“We Won’t Keep Silent” Youth Initiative has applied to the NSS with a claim to file a criminal case against Georgi Vanyan, President of the NGO “Caucasus Center for Peacemaking Initiatives”, because he carries out activities of treason.

Ashot Poghosyan, founding member of the initiative, related in an interview with us that Georgi Vanyan has been awarded grants from international donors and has been participating in various seminars and round-table discussions throughout Europe.

“During such events, he has expressed anti-state opinions. Particularly, that the liberated areas do not belong to us, we must return them. With these statements, he provided the Azerbaijani mass media with a chance to elaborate on the statements”, noted A. Poghosyan. According to Poghosyan, the mass media of the neighboring country made a reference to Vanyan, by “presenting him as a political activist, and reiterating that these statements are the shared opinions of Armenian society.

“Maybe he has been“recruited” by the Azerbaijanis and that is why we are asking the NSS to disclose everything”, stated A. Poghosyan. My interlocutor is convinced that according to the RA Constitution, every citizen has a right to express his/her opinion and viewpoint.  “However repeating the same things and prioritizing these anti-propaganda as well as gaining dividends from Azerbaijan, is already a crime of national treason” said a convinced member of “We Won’t Keep Silent” Youth Initiative. In a phone conversation, Georgi Vanyan stated, “I respect the NSS- civil initiative connection and view it as an advocate for democracy and open dialogue.” “I believe the statement of “We Won’t Keep Silent” Youth Initiatives is one of the blocks to an ANC-Government dialogue”, noted G. Vanyan.

According to Ashot Poghosyan, a representative of “We Won’t Keep Silent” Youth Initiative, they are being criticized by both the authorities and the Opposition. “Look at our other initiatives.   Are they the demands of the Government or the Opposition?” “We want to live in a normal country, but today neither the Government nor the Opposition provides a normal country”, noted A. Poghosyan.

Artur Sakunts, Head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor expressed the following viewpoint. According to HCAV, the decision of the “We Won’t Keep Silent” Youth Initiative to apply to the NSS is inherent in a totalitarian system of society, long forgotten but still showing signs of activism. It is targeted against pluralism, one of the fundamental principles of a democratic society. HCA-Vanadzor has condemned this undertaking. “We think the RA authorities will use discretion and respect the viewpoint of one of the civil society representatives in Armenia, who also has the right to express an opinion”, as stated in the HCAV statement. The authors of the Youth Initiative have replied to this by stating that they respect the activities carried out by HCA-Vanadzor, but “they consider today’s disposition strange”. 

“Perhaps, the staff members of HCA-Vanadzor are so much into the theory of human rights and freedoms that they have forgotten what geopolitical status the RA has”, is stated in the response-letter addressed by “We Won’t Keep Silent” Youth Initiative to HCAV. NSS media contact Artsvin Baghramyan stated that according to the guidelines, the “We Won’t Keep Silent” Youth Initiative must send an official message and application to NSS. “Perhaps then the NSS can address the issue, otherwise various media disseminations are posted on social websites.”

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