YEREVAN (A.W.)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Council of Armenia released a statement on July 30, condemning the latest clashes between protesters and law enforcement authorities in Yerevan, which resulted in several injuries and arrests.
“We strongly condemn the incident and consider it necessary to immediately punish the perpetrators,” read a part of the statement, which called for a complete end to the violence and to new clashes. “We should abandon the principle that the end justifies the means,” another part of the statement read.
The ARF Supreme council also said that the police used disproportionate force against peaceful citizens. “In certain cases, the police used disproportionate force not only against citizens participating in the demonstration, but also against those who had no connection with the rally, as well as against journalists who were carrying out their work. Unfortunately, some district authorities and criminal elements have also incited violence against the protesters,” read a part of the statement.
The ARF also called for a peaceful settlement to the present situation and urged the armed group occupying the Yerevan police station and their supporters to avoid extreme measures and “illegal methods of struggle.”
“It is evident that the greater public is unhappy with the country’s current state and convincing steps must be taken in order to radically change the situation. In order to ensure a peaceful settlement, the members of the armed group, their supporters, and the organizers of the demonstrations must give up unrealistic demands, illegal methods of struggle, and extreme measures,” read the statement.
This is not the same party that my grandfather went to the Gulag for supporting. The only thing in common is their name.
What would you have preferred? A call for arms and risking a civil war? We made that mistake once in Lebanon back in 1958 where Armenians shed each others blood because of internal politics… Never again…
What has the ARF done in the past 25 years in Armenia to stop corruption, emigration, repatriation, money laundering, job creation, unemployment, just elections?
Instead you supported the various regimes and hence are responsible for what is going on in Armenia. You have NOTHING to say.
Well if you take into consideration that the ARF was banned up to 1998 and mostly an opposition party 1998 till February 2016, I’m not sure what you mean by supporting the various regimes..
Vahagn you are not the only one who feels the same way.
ARF, quit the government!
ARF, join the people on the streets!
ARF, imagine what Kristapor, Rosdom & Zavatian would do in this situation and then do it!
ARF, rescue your own legacy from the pseudo-dashnaks collaborating with this criminal regime!
Supreme council !!! You have to earn that Name Brother!
And you can’t give it to yourself !!!
Vrej Kristapor
ARF’s middle word is “Revolutionary” not any more. How can any organisation join this extremely corrupt and undemocratic government who are selling the country and driving the population to leave. Statements like this are a very sad indication that the ARF who for years fought for Armenian freedom in the Ottoman Empire but in Armenia Armenian rights don’t count when you are part of the corrupt government.
ARF has ministers in a cabinet where the finance minister owns a 12 million dollar mansion in California. This is in a country where 35% of people live below the poverty line. Dear ARF, would you please tell us what have you done to clarify where did this minister bring the money to buy the mansion? If you haven’t done anything, then you have zero credibility and people will rightfully ignore you.
Why do so many Armenians want to turn the Republic into another Ukraine. They are making the police’s job harder so that they can capture footage of so called “police brutality” in order to have a foreign intervention.
I am one of those who lost trust in ARF.
On the one hand, yes, it is true that violence in the country is the last thing we need. But the ARF should be a bit stronger in its condemnation of the government, no? Corruption in the military, Armenian soldiers without the necessary equipment, massive emigration partly motivated by corrupt practices. Who does any of this benefit?
The corruption of this goverment is inacceptable the brutalité of the police is inacceptable , this gang MUST answere for their crimes to the people of Armenia,its disgusting to SEE the wealth of some of the politiciens the Monopoly of Buisness their wealth overseas and They do not even hide it.!
If the article is an accurate report on the ARF statement then the statement is pathetic. As for the article’s headline, it prejudges the story as judge and jury.
As the accompanying interview indicates, Hranush Kharatyan (Հրանուշ Խառատյան) agrees with legal assessment of the actions of the self-named Daredevils of Sassoun. However she states her view with precision and with the forensic open-mindedness that the circumstances of the last two weeks (and I would add the context of the last 25 years) deserve. https://youtu.be/XSReNVH8wR4
In the past 15 years the ARF has become a useless and hopeless organization.We need to change our useless bureau members.
If anyone thinks that this criminal regime will go down the road of real reforms they need to have their brains examined. All Diaspora parties have proven how badly they are misinformed of the catastrophic situation in Armenia today. Instead of being with the people they are with sultan Serjik and his criminal thugs. All these parties’ reputation with the electorate are now in tatters as they can never be trusted again.
ARF Armenia is pedaling the false narrative that they can change things by being inside the regime. I say to the ARF, you were also in the SS regime after the murder of ten Armenians by this regime. You are just a passenger in a coach driven and directed by these criminals you will never be able to change tangibly. You are only there to get business quotas for the leadership of the ARF and make money. This is what the people think and rightly so. You have also dragged down the whole ARF worldwide in dirt and mud.
The ARF in Armenia is not the same as we know it in the Diaspora. It’s as bad as the ruling RPA party which is the root of all evil in Armenia today. ARF Armenia has hijacked the whole party and directing it to oblivion. This needs to stop.
I would also like to point out that the Diaspora media is deliberately not informing its readers with what is going on in Armenia, along with A1 TV, Shant TV, Armenia TV and some others.
Right on, MK! I agree with every point you have made. Can ARF Armenia get any lower? I think not.