Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN1190
2004-05-21 10:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

PREVENTIVE DETENTIONS A MAJOR SETBACK ON THE

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREL AM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001190 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AM
SUBJECT: PREVENTIVE DETENTIONS A MAJOR SETBACK ON THE
EVE OF THE MAY 21 OPPOSITION RALLY


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001190

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ARMENIA'>AM
SUBJECT: PREVENTIVE DETENTIONS A MAJOR SETBACK ON THE
EVE OF THE MAY 21 OPPOSITION RALLY



1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified, protect accordingly.

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


2. (SBU) ARMENIAn police rounded up and questioned more
than 25 opposition activists around the country on the
eve of the planned May 21 opposition rally in Yerevan.
According to opposition sources and media reports, some
of them were sentenced to administrative detention
varying from three to ten days of imprisonment. Most
of the detainees were charged with "insulting
authorities" and the "use of foul language." Court
verdicts were delivered late in the morning May 20,
during closed hearings and in the absence of legal
counsel. Some of the press reports call recent
detentions "preventive" and explain them by the fact
that a Collective Security Treaty reception attended by
visiting CIS ministers and military brass is scheduled
for the vicinity of the planned opposition rally. End
Summary.

-------------- --------------
OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS DETAINED, "SENTENCES" PRE-COOKED
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) ARMENIAn police rounded up and questioned more
that 25 opposition activists around the country May 20
ahead of the May 21 opposition rally in Yerevan. Most
of detained activists are from the People's Party of
ARMENIA and the Republic Party. The police appear to
have been especially zealous in the cities of
Charentsavan, Artashat and Echmiadzin; the press and
opposition sources describe the police ambushing
opposition activists near their homes. A Republic
Party representative told us that one of his own police
contacts admitted they had received lists of people to
be detained in advance. The police contact also said
that some policemen are telling the detainees that they
have "an order from above" to keep people in detention
for at least three days and urging the opposition
activists to be "reasonable."


4. (SBU) Some of the opposition activists were fined
and released in the morning; more than a dozen,
however, were sentenced to from three to ten days of
imprisonment under the Soviet-era Code of
Administrative detention on a vague charge of "use of
foul language." A well-known lawyer and chairman of
International Union of ARMENIAn Lawyers Tigran Ter-
Yesayan informed the press that the Union formed a
special "rapid response" group of defense counsels to
provide legal advice to the detainees. According to
Ter-Yesayan, in most cases, however, defense counsel
were unable to see their clients because by the time
they arrived at prison the court hearings were already
finished. Ter-Yesayan alleged that some court hearings
were held in jails -- and referred to that as an
obvious violation of the law.

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MAY 21 RALLY AND CIS MINISTERS--SAME TIME, SAME PLACE
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) Although the opposition press is speculating
that the recent police crackdown on the planned
opposition May 21 rally could end in another march to
Kocharian's office, leaders of the Republic Party told
us that the May 21 rally will not be followed by a
march because opposition leaders Stepan Demirchian and
Artashes Geghamian strongly oppose the idea. A GOAM
reception for the annual meeting of CIS defense
ministers in Yerevan is scheduled for the same time in
the vicinity of the rally, at the Government Guest
House. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov arrived
in Yerevan on Thursday to hold talks with ARMENIAn
leaders and attend the annual meeting, and the GOAM is
clearly unwilling to risk being embarrassed by an
opposition rally right in front of their CIS
colleagues.

-------------- --------------
COMMENT: PREVENTIVE DETENTIONS A MAJOR STEP BACKWARD
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) We had been encouraged by ongoing discussions
between the opposition and governing coalition within
the National Assembly and by the calm atmosphere both
during and following recent opposition rallies; the
current wave of preventive detentions, however, is
clearly a major step backward and a profound misuse of
police authority. We anticipate that this government
move will close any opportunities for political
dialogue in the short term.
ORDWAY