Epress.am News from Armenia
It’s symbolic that while second president of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian is launching court cases, and against news outlets at that, others are launching court cases against first RA president Levon Ter-Petrossian, writes editor Armine Ohanyan in an article titled “Don’t Judge [Adjudicate] so You Won’t be Judged” in local daily Hraparak.
“Lately information was disseminated through news outlets that a [State] Engineering University professor has appealed to the prosecutor’s office — with the request of launching a criminal case again Levon Ter-Petrossian. He gave a bizarre explanation for this; he wrote, ‘Why is the Republic of Armenia in a difficult situation? Because our state has been and is being plundered. The only way out of this situation is to eliminate the climate of impunity, which has reigned for 20 years. It’s necessary to punish both the old and the new. Let’s begin with Levon.’ A question arises: why from Levon?” writes Ohanyan.
According to the Hraparak editor, elementary logic dictates that in order to put an end to the “pillage,” it’s not the former official, but the one today needs to be punished, so that it is a lesson to others.
“So people don’t think that he’s lost his post, become defenseless and that he’s being punished for it. Particularly if Levon Ter-Perossian had committed a crime and there was any chance of punishing him, after 1998, they would’ve punished him a hundred times over. But this too is not substantial. Can you imagine, the professor in question and generally those who think like this not only proudly and overtly take action, write appeals to the prosecutor’s office, but also give interviews [and] take on the attitude of a hero — as if they’re fighting corruption. Moreover, these people are educating generations, instilling ways of thinking, defining standards and principles in our country. They fear neither public opinion nor their students’ reproach, [and] neither those who can accuse them in pleasing the authorities,” concludes Ohanyan.