Epress.am News from Armenia
Daniel Ioannisyan, project coordinator of the “Union of Informed Citizens” has made a post on Facebook, where he has written: “Famous body-guard MP Hayk Sargsyan was elected by massively abusing administrative resources in Gegharkunik Marz. We will soon send the materials to the Special Investigative Service. However, if you have information about this, write to me, to make [our claim] more grounded. Confidentiality of sources is guaranteed.”
Newly elected MP Hayk Sargsyan of “My Step” responded to human rights defender Ioannisyan’s post on his FB page and quoted former MP of the Republican Party, Arpineh Hovhannisyan’s words by which she had insulted Ioannisyan.
On July 17 2018, during the deliberations of the new electoral code, Arpineh Hovhannisyan failed to notice the livestreaming by the video-camera and insulted Daniel Ioannisyan on air, who was at that time the secretary of the government committee drafting the new electoral code. As a matter of complaining to her colleagues from the ARF and RPA, she said: “Let’s give it to them and let them make it. Why should we bother to discuss with this mental retard?” Later on Hovhannisyan denied that her words were directed at Ionnisyan.
Hayk Sargsyan wrote:
“Dear friends, not infamous Daniel Ioannisyan made a post on his FB wall that contains information that I was elected through abuses of administrative resources and soon the materials will be sent to the Special Investigative Committee. At the same time, this poor one, in order not to fall in the hole he’s dug up himself, is writing: “But if you have information about this, write to me, to make more grounded. Confidentiality of sources is guaranteed.”
I was thinking of an appropriate way to respond to this, then I recalled someone who had an interaction with Daniel Ionnisyan in not far past and made a precise characterization of him. I hope you remember that during the National Assembly deliberations he was qualified insane to which he didn’t even attempt to resist or argue. It was perhaps that the characterization was grounded in facts and he found it futile to disagree. Therefore, I will address him like this: “Non dear, if you have so much information, why did you pee in your pants and were not publicizing this information to inform the public. So that you could justify your grants? If you have such information, why are you begging for it from others? What does it mean ‘more grounded’, my non dear?
In contemporary language, you, classical slanderer, if you don’t disclose the materials at hand, as you’re saying and as you’ve promised, if you don’t give them to the Special Investigative Committee for appropriate investigation, then I will sue you for defaming me and spreading blatantly false information. Non dear, hurry up, those who are burning with anger because of my costume are also waiting for your “groundbreaking” discovery.”
Around a dozen organizations working on disability rights and inclusivity have appealed to the new parliament to set up an ad hoc committee of ethics to discuss MP Sargsyan’s behavior. In their statement of January 14, they claim that the attempt to use a disability trait to insult someone is an act of discrimination that deepens stigma against people with (mental) disabilities. They also called on all officials to stay away from reproducing historical stigma, to respect and defend everyone’s dignity.