Alarm by the 'Union of Exiled Armenian Writers and Intellectuals'

The signatories are intellectuals who have been subjected to political persecution in post-Soviet Armenia. Herewith, we would like to deliver our message to the communities of Armenia and Diaspora, national institutions, cultural organizations, political parties and state bodies, human rights organizations, writers' unions around the world, as well as the democratic nations which have diplomatic relations with the Republic of Armenia (RA):

1- Armenia is one of those post-Soviet independent republics where tyranny keeps hardening tending to transform into dictatorship. The organized persecution of intellectuals, who dare expose and criticize the ruling junta's criminal offenses and its large-scale theft of the national wealth, intensifies day after day.

2- The persecution is instructed by the self-declared ruling clan in active cooperation with various state and non-state institutions, including the National Security Administration, the RA Police, Yerevan's municipal council, the RA Prosecutor's Office, the Justice Ministry, etc.

3- The signatories have personally suffered from humiliating oppression carried out by the mentioned bodies. The persecution and oppression are expressed in various forms, such as:

a. Confiscating assets and obliterating all financial means;

b. Expelling from Armenia and hindering any attempt to return;

c. Interfering with the activities of publishing houses and bookstores with the purpose of prohibiting the distribution and reading of our books in the country;

d. Persecuting and terrorizing the people who deal with the publication, distribution or promotion of our books. Specifically, there are cases of unlicensed intrusion into their residences, unsanctioned search of property to confiscate unpublished books and other personal documents, intrusion into media premises to arrest journalists promoting our books or articles;

e. Filing false lawsuits, introducing false witnesses while terrorizing true witnesses and their relatives, wiretapping, issuing assassination threats or threats to imprison, demanding huge bribes, ordering arrests;

f. Interrogating close friends of the author and luring them to participate in covert operations to assassinate the author by bribing with the author's own assets or threatening to file lawsuits against them for “treason against Armenia.”

4- We are concerned with the attitude of certain political organizations towards those who practice free speech and generate new ideas in the Armenian reality. We are upset by the consistent propaganda intended to demoralize the writers who fearlessly expose the truth. We address all party leaders and members, expecting them to give an adequate assessment of these measures and stop being the henchmen for the junta?s policy of silencing or subduing the Diaspora.

5- Over the past few years the Armenian mass media has been actively covering issues related to foreign writers who speak against existing taboos in their countries, especially Turkey. Unfortunately, with negligent but respectful exceptions, the intellectuals who try to overcome taboos in the Armenian reality are neglected altogether. Such hypocrisy is acquiescence to the persecution of writers and a case of complicity with the junta.

6- We believe that an immoral regime violating the fundamental rights of its own people is bereft of grounds to demand morality from another state, particularly when genocide recognition is in question.

7- This is a time when the cornerstones of the motherland are laid for future generations, and the activities of such an irresponsible and immoral regime and the organizations supporting it may lead to irreversible consequences. Realizing the paramount importance of building a prosperous motherland and the urgency of preserving the achieved independence today, we address:

a) The Armenians all over the world to attend to the protection of free speech in the Republic of Armenia, as well as the Diaspora.

b) All political organizations to reconsider their policies towards the junta tyrannizing Armenia and terrorizing its intellectuals, to stop being their vassals abroad by disorienting other countries and the Armenians of Diaspora, to stow the constant bawdry and defamation of writers in the mass media and encourage the cultural organizations to study and publicize the works of writers who open new perspectives.

c) Cultural organizations to apply depoliticized, nonpartisan and unbiased approach to Armenian literature, to pay due attention to writers and artists who are abreast with the times and, why not, to raise the public's awareness of their message.

d) The Writers' Union of Armenia to abide by its responsibility to protect the rights of exiled Armenian writers and take firm steps within and outside the republic to stop all forms of overt and covert persecution against them, guarantee their safe return to Armenia to exercise their civil rights.

e) International organizations to take corresponding steps to eliminate any obvious or hidden obstacles infringing upon writers' rights, and facilitate their return to their motherland.

f) Intellectuals who have suffered from intolerance and persecution under despotic regimes to join our forces and struggle for the right to free speech all over the world.

g) Freethinking Turkish writers to unite in the fight for the abolition of taboos both in Turkey and Armenia with the purpose of establishing real democracy and ensuring writers' free speech and security.

h) Governmental and non-governmental organizations of the EU, USA, France, Sweden and other democracies. Abusing the diplomatic and economic ties with these democratic countries, the incumbent junta endeavors to gain political capital to ensure the continuity of its power. Any assistance to such antidemocratic and criminal group of people is against the interests of democratic societies. Any external force that indirectly supports the establishment and preservation of the illegal leadership deeply disappoints the Armenian people. We bid your sympathy with the prevailing attitudes that are gaining ground towards the abolition of the junta.

i) The security agencies of democratic countries to expose and persecute the agents and accomplices of the junta operating within these countries who threaten the rights of these countries' citizens for free speech.