Re Heritage MP Zaruhi Postanjyan CoE question: It's not about question per se, she is making a point!

True, making unsubstantiated claims - even if to humiliate a person who deserves it - is not necessarily my type of thing, or to my liking. True, I wish Zaruhi used other than casino question to humiliate president Serj Sargsyan, because there are many more substantiated claims one could have made for those purposes. But the casino question is not the point here.


The whole political system in Armenia is a joke. The real scandals are not being discussed and dealt with by politicians or mainstream media, only the cheap shots, tricks, conspiracies and gossips. Some went as far as to resort to racist remarks towards Zaruhi:

Lawmakers from Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) were particularly furious with Postanjian’s embarrassing verbal attack, comparing it with high treason. “Today Zaruhi Postanjian was more of a Turk than any Turk, more of an Azerbaijani than any Azerbaijani,” one of them, Karen Avagian, wrote on his Facebook account. 

I also read in quite a few places on Facebook that this is 'damaging to Armenia's reputation'. Really?! So it's because of this kind of stupid or not so questions Armenia reputation gets tarnished? I do not think so.

Imagine Zaruhi is asking the most refined politically relevant question in a calm intelligent manner... And? Do you have any doubts what the answers to those questions would be? It will be the usual blah blah blah by Serj. Don't get me wrong. I do agree in usefulness of 'real question' challenging, but this is just another legitimate tactic of defying the authorities.

Concentrating on 'casino question' is missing the point here.

The real point Zaruhi was making was not in a casino question but right before that when she was explaining why any other questioning would be irrelevant, i.e. fraudulent elections that keep this person (Armenia president Serj Sargsyan) & co in power.

This is very relevant to CoE and EU too, as by accepting the election results they gave Serj the legitimacy. Something they were hoping to get back in return to his 'European agenda' promises which turned out to be another farce of its own.
***
Recommended reading (AM): Զարուհին չէր կարող չասել այն, ինչ ասաց

From my archive: Zaruhi Postanjyan: “Fearless In Face Of Authority”

Armenian police: the lowest possible denominator

I like the caption of this picture: "good morning police". I I like the title of blog post by Bnamard: FUCKAKENTRON VOSTIKANUTYUN

Says pretty much it all.

*video via Epress.am



"Police can be seen pushing, shoving and yelling at protestors in Yerevan’s Republic Square, including Heritage Party MP Armen Martirosyan. Also seen in the video caught up in the scuffle are Heritage Party MPs Anahit Bakhshyan and Zaruhi Postanjyan, and activist Mariam Sukhudyan. Officers then pick up activist Vardges Gaspari and shove him in a police van standing by."
***

Good round-up of today's news via RFE/RL (AM)

'Human Rights' in Armenia

*via Hetq Online (photo by Gagik Shamshyan); and 7or blog

Re: Zaruhi Postanjyan

I’ve been following this tragicomedy involving nationalist and pro-government circles on the one side and Armenian MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, prominent human rights lawyer from the opposition Heritage party, on the other side, and could not help myself but wonder. How much we love targeting people instead of targeting problems?!

Nationalist and pro-government propaganda machine can’t get enough of condemning Zaruhi’s ‘treacherous’ behaviour. Here she is, an ‘enemy of people’, ‘enemy of Armenia’. How did she dare asking for Azeri and Turkish signatures under the statement condemning the state of human rights in Armenia and demanding the release of all political prisoners. Ironically, the same circles were pretty jubilant with Zaruhi Postanjyan’s stance re Karabakh and Turkey which is leaning towards more nationalist spectrum of the political field in Armenia. Ironically, among those still detained are Karabakh war veterans, and Turkish and Azeri MPs signed under the demand of their release too (!), which caused some ‘reaction’ back in Baku.

My only problem with those signatures not the fact that they came from Azeri and Turkish MPs, but I believe that only a person who recognises and criticises similar and (much) worse human rights abuses in his/her own country has the right to criticise others. I am not sure that this is the case re e.g. that MP from Azerbaijan.

Other than that, critics of Zaruhi Postanjyan are missing the point. If they think it’s shameful that the name “Armenia” is being used in Europe in relation to poor human rights record or being monitored by the Council of Europe, they should fight the roots of the problem, not the person who highlights it, whether with the ‘right’ or the ‘wrong’ signatures.

Zaruhi Postanjyan: “Fearless In Face Of Authority”

I highly recommend reading this profile of Zaruhi Postanjyan, MP, published by RFE/RL. She instantly became one of my favourite Armenians, a champion of human rights, woman of the year, you name it...

This extensive profile of Zaruhi contains both known and unknown facts of her routine and professional life and activism.

Here I re-post more personal and unknown facts about her.

Favorite books? Detective stories.

How do you relax? I like having a rest at the lakeside. For example, at Lake Sevan. Or home, alone.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where crucial decisions for Armenia are being made.

What is your greatest regret? That the "cream of society" has slowly left Armenia and gone abroad.

What is your worst vice or extravagance? My inability to forgive.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? To be always on the go, setting goals one after another, and achieving them, on and on.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Historian.

What was the best day or your life? The day I met my future husband. I was 17.

What would people be surprised to know about you? That I sometimes go around my house naked.

What is your greatest fear? Getting a shot at the doctor's.

What do you wish you were better at? Giving more time to my family. Everything I've achieved is at their expense, especially at the expense of my children.


As a deputy, Postanjian dresses casually, and without embarrassment. It's not unusual for her to turn up for a parliament session wearing jeans tucked into cowboy boots, dressed more for a night out than for a daytime debate. It's the same insouciance she displayed as a teenager when, as the Soviet Union was crumbling, Postanjian renounced her membership in Komsomol, the communist youth organization, and began attending demonstrations and public rallies in the city.

Born in Yerevan, Postanjian attended Russian School No. 132 and graduated from Yerevan's MYUD Law Institute in 1994. She received her lawyer's license in 1999, and subsequently pursued advanced work in criminal law through the American Bar Association in Florida. Her personal passions sent her to Lund University in Sweden in 2003 to study human rights law, and to the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Warsaw in 2004-05.

Today, Postanjian says, she's too busy for friends, and sometimes even for family.

"My parents have done and are doing everything for all my intentions to be realized, but I can spare very little time to spend with them. I don't see them often," she confesses. "When I myself became a mother, I was very young, only 20, and at that time it was purely an obligation for me. I didn't feel the pleasure. Now, with the 5-year-old daughter, I am starting to understand what motherhood is."

She married Suren Drampian, a dentist, in 1993. He says he understands his wife's passion in pursuit of human rights, but admits that sometimes he tells her: "You've had enough. Stay at home. You know what predators are out there. Who are you fighting against? We have children, don't we?"

Recently, Postanjian told faction head Raffi Hovannisian that she wants to have a fourth child.

"Only Zara can do both things at one time," Hovannisian said, "carrying out the highest and most sacred mission of giving birth to a child and providing mothering and being people’s elected representative and an active parliament deputy."

Says Postanjian: "I want every Armenian to be willing to live in Armenia, to have children here and to see their children's future only in Armenia."



*Thanks to Myrthe for the link!
**photos - by RFE/RL

Zaruhi Postanjyan: Woman of The Year, MP of The Year, The Best European in Armenia

*Zaruhi Postanjian, MP from opposition Heritage party, receiving “The Best European” award in Armenia, for her contribution to the process of country's European integration, from (ironically!) ex Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. (Photo via Hraparak.am)

There is even more irony in that award ceremony conducted by “European Movement Armenia” – ‘European of The Year’ award recipients include also speaker of the Armenian parliament Tigran Torosyan (!) and former fake oppositionist, current head of the National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan. As Hraparak mentions, apparently there is no lack of ‘Europeans’ in Armenia, all we need now is... European values. If it is not for Zaruhi Postanjyan, the whole award ceremony could be easily turned into a big mockery.

Completely agree with Hraparak that Zaruhi Postanjyan deserves being called not only “The Best European”, but also the MP of The Year. I would also add that for me Zaruhi Postanjyan is also Woman of The Year in Armenia.

She is the best example as how Armenian parliamentarian should behave. She was instrumental in protecting human rights of Armenian citizens during government’s violent crackdown on opposition movement following disputed presidential elections in February 2008. She was out there, 24/7, at police stations, court hearings, endless meetings here and there, to provide legal support for detainees, political prisoners during what I would consider the worst human rights crisis in modern Armenian history.

Keep up your good work, Zaruhi! You are the best!