Honorable Ambassador

I’m, once again, writing a letter because basic human rights are under serious threat and democratic system has almost vanished in Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan keeps building an authoritarian system, in which, as he claimed recently, he is the Government. I urge you as an important counterpart and supporter of the Armenian Government and democratic system to intervene.

My name is Hovhannes Avetisyan and I am a public figure, who strives to make Armenia a better place by building a welfare state with safe and just environment, with high quality and inclusive social and economic infrastructures.  To make this dream come true, I went through many personal hardships and struggles, which shaped the person I’m today, full of dedication to make Armenia a prosperous and safe country. In this difficult path I gained knowledge and got empowered in several academic institutions in Armenia, USA, Europe and Asia. Professionally, I became an expert in policy analysis and governance with several degrees, including the degree of master in Public Administration from Harvard University. I have been serving the public good for about two decades now: since my years in the Government, and later as an expert with many international organizations.

2018 events in Armenia gave me a hope that things will change to the better not incrementally but with higher pace. I was full of hope, until 2020 war and after, until this Government betrayed its promises to the Armenian people: promises to make Armenia safer, more just, inclusive and better place for everyone. This was the reason I had to be more active in public arena, cause apparently political decision making in Armenia is not in good hands and many of those decisions do not serve the interests of Armenians.  People like me who do not agree with the current politics, get targeted, repressed and even detained; those who speak out against the current authorities are getting unfair and unjust treatment by the Armenian law enforcement institutions and by the courts.

I have been illegally arrested and detained several times with fabricated charges. I wrote letters about this situation in the past to the EU and USA embassies. I would not write you this letter if the situation was not worsening day by day and if basic human rights were not under serious threat in Armenia each and other day. And the core of the problem lies in the authoritarian system that the current Government led by Nikol Pashinyan is consistently building by targeting all the opposition voices with the use of police and justice system and trying to silence those who speak up against the politics and policies of this Government.

Recently 18 people, including Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church Bagrat Galstanyan, have been arrested on fabricated charges. The Investigative Committee and the ruling Civil Contract party members deceived the public by publicizing manipulated audio records, which they even translated into English, by trying to make a point as if Archbishop Galstanyan was planning a terrorist attack on the government.  In reality, those detained individuals were planning a peaceful resistance, a resistance that Nikol Pashinyan keeps calling upon the people to initiate if they don’t agree with his politics. You may have legitimate question, why should you believe me, but not the government. My short answer is, I am one of the persons whose voice appears in those audio records (which were manipulated and presented as evidence of planned terror and killings) having conversation with the archbishop. I assure you that we have never discussed a government overthrow, we have never discussed change of the government by brutal and/or illegal means (unattached audio surveillance materials, where my voice appears, are the evidence). As some of the not edited recordings reveal (were later brought out by the advocates), the conversation between us was a theoretical discussion about organizing the defense of the country, which also touched upon the idea of capital punishment by the state applicable towards criminal cases, like treason.

I’m planning to have a press conference this Saturday 11am (address: 5/1 Northern Avenue, Yerevan 0001, second floor), and answer questions regarding this scandalous case and I urge you to have you or your representative be present in this conference, so you can first hand learn from me and the advocates about wrongful prosecutions and actions by law enforcement that, with no doubt, go against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I also urge you to have your representative be present in the judicial proceeding of this fabricated criminal case, which is open door and starts on 10th of September.

I believe “that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

I hope you will not be silent in this important juncture of the Armenian people’s struggle for freedom, justice and dignity.

Sincerely,

Hovhannes Avetisyan

Embassy of the United States of America

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mrs. Kristina Alyson Kvien

E-mail: yerevanusinfo@state.gov

Address: 1, American Avenue, Yerevan

EUROPEAN UNION DELEGATION

Head of Delegation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mr. VASSILIS MARAGOS

E-mail: Delegation-Armenia@eeas.europa.eu

Address: Friki St 21

Embassy of the Republic of Austria

Charge d' Affairs: H.E. Mr. ROBERT GERSCHNER

E-mail: tiflis-ob@bmeia.gv.at

Address: Inoffice Business Centre, 5th floor, 4 Chovelidze street, 0108 Tbilisi, Georgia

Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mr. Eric DE MUYNCK

E-mail: yerevan@diplobel.fed.be

Address: Armenia “Marriott” Hotel, 1 Amiryan str., Yerevan

Embassy of Canada

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mr. ANDREW TURNER

E-mail: sofia.sharambeyan@international.gc.ca

Address: “Yerevan Plaza” Business Center, 4th floor, Grigor Lusavorich 9, Yerevan 0015

Embassy of the Czech Republic

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mr. PETR PIRUNČĺK

E-mail: yerevan@embassy.mzv.cz

Address: Nalbandyan Str., 48/1

Embassy of the French Republic

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mr. Olivier Decottignies

E-mail: cad.erevan-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Address: 8, Grigor Lousavorich Street

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mrs. CLAUDIA BUSCH

E-mail: info@eriw.diplo.de

Address: 29, Charents Street

Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mrs. Bergljot Hovland

E-mail: emb.tbilisi@mfa.no

Address: 2 Giorgi Leonidze street, 3rd floor 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia

Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mrs. MARIEKE HARRIET MONROY-WINTER

E-mail: jer@minbuza.nl

Address: 2 Vazgen Sargsyan Str., 7th floor, 0010 Yerevan

Embassy of the Republic of Poland

Charge d' Affairs: Mr. Marcin Różycki

E-mail: erywan.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl

Address: 44a, Hanrapetutyan Street

Embassy of Switzerland

Charge d' Affairs: Mrs. Ursula Läubli

E-mail: yerevan@eda.admin.ch

Address: Melik-Adamyan St. 2/1

Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Charge d' Affairs: Mr. PAUL MORRIS

E-mail: enquiries.yerevan@fcdo.gov.uk

Address: 8th Floor, Kamar Business Centre, 2 Vazgen Sargsyan Street