– The press widely covered the information and the statement of the head of “The Union of Armenian volunteers”, Zhirayr Sefilyan and Vardan Malkhasyan, because of which they were arrested. Do you think their statement contains anything targeted to “Changing the requirements of the RA Constitution by using power” as they are accused for?
– I can’t say anything about the legal point. Only the Police can say whether their actions contain any criminal activities or not. As for me, I don’t think it is good to change anything in the political, economic and international relations by using power. I think that verbal “power” is the beginning of the relative “actions”. I think all the countries, even if they are corrupted too much like our country, should make sure such things don’t happen and they should interfere.
– It is said that “people shouldn’t beat people that have fallen on the ground and they should protect them”. Nevertheless, you are the only one that has criticized their actions so far. Don’t you think that people may blame you in standing by the government?
– When I speak I don’t think about what people may think. Even more, generally I don’t care about such things in the existing political system. Besides that, what does it mean “a man that has fallen on the ground”? Both murderers and hooligans may be considered as people that “have fallen on the ground”… I think we shouldn’t discuss issues that way; I think it is better to think about how those ideas may influence on our state and the society generally. The Armenians are tolerant towards such things due to their history and other psychological factors. Thus, such statements targeted to solving political problems by power may be accepted by the society relatively.
– You published an article in “Haykakan Jamanak” newspaper, where you brought numerous facts concerning the past of Zhirayr Sefilyan, according to which during the investigations of the “Dro” case he escaped to Beirut and later was the first one that Nairi Hunanyan tried to call during the terrors in the parliament on October 27, 1999. Why do you say that now? Is there any logical connection?
– I remembered about it due to Zhirayr Sefilyan. In the societies of the other countries, in their political, traditional and other norms brute force is legalized since everyone has a right to use brute force if their independence, the independence and security of the state are undermined and there is dictatorship in their countries. As for Armenia, we have historical aspects as well, and very often the examples of the Genocide and the terrors allow us justify brute power for security purposes. Note that according a research after the terror of October 27 a quarter of the population thought that Nairi Hunanyan had done a good thing and they thought they had driven the country to extreme poverty and social bad conditions. Generally for justifying terrors people use high ideas, due to which they use brute power; nevertheless it does not solve any problems.
– The oppositional branch has always spoken such things and petitioned people “to gather and break the big heads”. Do you think their statements will drive to a terror?
– Should we wait for a catastrophe to act? It is not the first time in Armenia and I think the society should be strong enough to gather and press out such negative appearances. I regret to note that it is common in Armenia, and first of all it is the fault of the government. I can bring some good examples. Thus, Garnik Isagulyan that has a very good position in the president’s office used to speak such things and threaten too. Now he is the president’s adviser on national security issues. Vahan Hovhannisyan that has founded a secret organization works in the vice-speaker’s position. The society has forgotten that the mentioned organization was the reason why many people were killed, included policemen. Extreme statements are the beginning of such actions, which should be stopped by all means. They shouldn’t stop such things only by repressive actions, but also by lobbying and explaining to people the bad. I would believe Sefilyan and Malkhasyan if they made a group of volunteers and went to live in Lachin for the purpose of protecting the lands there. If they did that I would believe that they are patriots. Sitting in Yerevan and demanding Javakhk or Fizuli is not patriotism.
– Oppositionists say that the authorities have forgotten the fact that Sefilyan is a war hero and has participated in the war in Karabakh. By the way, even Samvel Babayan asked the government why they didn’t do that during the war and why they didn’t think that Sefilyan was dangerous.
– Samvel Babayan, who has not become free of the accusations in organizing an attempt to kill the president of Karabakh, is trying to make a political power in Armenia and speak about European values, tolerance and other wonderful things. This means that he has changed his appearance and relates well to the opposition; maybe he is afraid of a man that is very decisive. A lot of people may think that their actions may be justified in the history. As for participating in the war, I think that your honor of service for your state does not give you a right to violate the laws of your own country. It is not that way. The status of a war participant cannot be a universal right to do anything they want.
– Don’t you think that the view of Sefilyan’s advocates that if it is impossible to change anything in the country through elections people may use brute power by forming armed groups.
– In such cases of non-systematic brute force the state uses systematic brute force. Thus they use the “jungle rules”. What can it change? Even if you have fair and high goals you shouldn’t use such methods. Let’s remember the incidents in 1996. The party that had lost in the elections thought that they had won and used brute power during the elections. Did they change anything? They changed only one thing; people lost their trust to the government and slowed the reformation process. Once more I’d like to say that there is a method of using brute power for the purpose of reaching goals in people’s norms, but the world is developing and the society should reject that method.
– In your article you wrote that Sefilyan was looking for one color cloth materials in the shops of Yerevan and joked that definitely he was getting prepared for a masquerade. Why didn’t you write about it?
– I brought out several facts, which analysis proves that the group led by Sefilyan and Malkhasyan was driving the country to destabilization actions. I know the “type” of such people very well.
– Do you mean that the government stopped their actions by arresting them?
– I don’t exclude that the “hot heads” may destabilize the situation in the country for the purpose of stopping the process of “emptying Javakhk from Armenians”. Their statements show their intentions not depending on whether their goals were inner actions or foreign ones (which are more dangerous).
– Do you think there is any power in Armenia that is responsible for “reproducing such types of people” or their groups?
– There is a very interesting coincidence; in the history of our independent state everyone that has used brute power or want to do so have sworn putting their hands on weapons. All of them have got their lessons and education with the help of those weapons; I mean Nairi Hunanyan, Zhirayr Sefilyan, Garnik Isagulyan and the people that have been imprisoned connected with the “Dro” case. This means that swearing on a weapon symbolizes legitimizing terror as a tool against political conflicts. Today even the process how the Dashnaks swear is shown on TV. They say that it is just a custom. There have been ethnic groups in the history that sacrificed their children for their gods. There are things that used to be accepted in the history and can’t be accepted now. Don’t you think that it is the time to change the symbols and the ideas connected with those symbols?
– It is said that the purpose the government arrested them is the fact that the government wants to frighten everyone before the elections so that they can stop the creation of groups, which purpose is stopping any possible electoral violations during the upcoming elections.
– It is a beautiful model that some handsome and honest guys can change the existing poor model of Armenia’s development. I think the purpose of this action was disorienting the society from the core dangers. You should pay more attention to the content of their speeches. They don’t care about elections and law at all, they think “only weapons can save Armenia”.
– Usually in Armenia people that are arrested become heroes. Don’t you think that it may happen to Sefilyan and Malkhasyan as well?
– Eh, you can consider them heroes, make monuments and do whatever you want. Later you can write songs about the lost state. It sounds very beautiful and romantic.