Epress.am News from Armenia
“The public, behold, received the next [bit of] information regarding the incident organized against me in the Kosh penal institution. Let me say at once: the news is true, and what happened is a good opportunity to carry out an even more thorough conversation about the recent incidents surrounding my person in Kosh,” writes Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) chief editor Nikol Pashinyan in an article published today.
Recall that local Armenian daily Haykakan Jamanak had reported that there was an attack on Nikol Pashinyan on Nov. 3. Later, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender’s office had denied the attack, saying there had only been a row between cellmates.
“Involved in the operation were influential ‘soldier’ persons among the convicts,” writes Pashinyan, explaining that “soldiers” are convicts who receive various assignments of a violent, forceful nature and carry them out.
“Violence and intimidation tactics toward other prisoners are carried out through their actions,” he writes.
According to Pashinyan, at the beginning of the incident, under different pretexts, possible witnesses were removed from near his cell, the entrances and exits were closed, and as “a representative of the criminal world,” someone began to demand explanations in an aggressive tone, as to why Pashinyan isn’t keeping himself like a regular prisoner.
“With restrained toughness, I responded with a counter demand: to explain what specific pretenses were being attributed to me. That is, what is the accusation against me, if that is the case, what is the demand placed before me, if there is such a thing. As I expected, what was said was neither clear nor general,” writes Pashinyan.
Early on, the main demand asked of Pashinyan was connected with his numerous articles published in print and his political activities, which, according to his fellow prisoner “generally are not pleasing to many worthy people.”
Pashinyan responded by saying that he is not preparing to debate his articles, and journalistic and political activities with anyone.
“Understanding that this subject cannot really continue, the head ‘soldier’ in this operation changed his tactic and recited an important phrase: ‘Haven’t you been told, to remove that flag from here?'” said Pashinyan, explaining that, since his time in prison, he has hung a small 6 cm by 12 cm Republic of Armenia souvenir flag on the wall above his head.
“Naturally, my response was unequivocal and free: my flag must be above my head. It was on this issue, then, that the conversation became aggravated and the head ‘soldier’ attacked me. As is the case in such incidents, a human cluster formed near the place where I sleep, and it was difficult to differentiate who was whose friend. And though prison guards gather like flies on every sneeze of every prisoner, during the clamor and loud conversation, for about 15 minutes, no guard appeared. This story ended with a “cautionary skirmish” and the parties kept their positions. The opposite side was asserting that I should no longer write articles in the paper and that I have to remove the Armenian state flag from its place above my head. Now you have read an article which was written after the incident, and the RA state flag continues to decorate the wall above my head. And it will remain that way always,” concludes Nikol Pashinyan.