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In an interview with Tert.am, Chairperson of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office Artur Sakunts details what he meant and which political forces he meant when stating that secret messages are sent from Yerevan to international organizations, denying their, i.e. human rights defenders’ and personally his, i.e. Artur Sakunts’ assessment about Karo Yeghnukyan, Andrias Ghukasyan, Zhirayr Sefilyan, Shant and his friends being political prisoners

– Mr. Sakunts, recently, noting that “the Council of Europe considers a person a political prisoner if they have been unlawfully subjected to criminal prosecution for their views and convictions,” you stated that while you and other human rights defenders submit reports to international organizations on the existence of such persons, “secret reports” are parallelly sent from Yerevan, through which an attempt is made to deny the existence of political prisoners in Armenia; and that this is done by political parties that also had political prisoners before. Can you please mention those political forces?

-The first one is the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which, right in the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) delegation, is publicly stating that there are no political prisoners.

-And what about Yelk? Because there were persons in detention there too.

-No, Yelk is stating that there are political prisoners; they are not denying it.

-And what about the Armenian National Congress?

-I am not informed of them. They are restrained in this regard. For instance, they kept completely silent at the time of Shant’s case. They responded later. The issue is that at off-the-record meetings not only parties but also certain experts also present such information; I cannot identify the source of the information but I know it precisely.

-And are those experts human rights defenders?

-No, they are analysts, so called “analytical brains,” who present such information in the framework of meetings with international organizations and representatives of civil society.

-Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International – are you talking about these institutions?

-No, I am talking about interstate institutions such as the Council of Europe, the European Union and the State Department.

-Do you think they are carrying out the order of the authorities?

-Definitely, or they do not want to spoil their relationship with the authorities.

-Does it mean that the information is interactive and can reach the authorities?

-Naturally, because when we raise the issue at our meetings with the representatives of the PACE delegation, they oppose with things we have not heard from representatives of political parties; so what should one think? In conclusion, I should say that the theme of political prisoners and persons subjected to political persecution is not presented by political forces as the most significant issue on the agenda and as an issue of concern during meetings with interstate organizations.

-Do they have a different opinion on Sasna Tsrer?

-No, the matter is related to PACE Resolution No 1900 which refers to people who cannot use weapons.

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