In the newly independent countries who declared of building democratic society following the collapse of the Soviet Union, thread for state terrorism might have appeared as intentional directing the population of these countries to the wrong direction aimed at realisation of militarist-agressive plans as well as groundless territorial claims on the neighbouring states. This thread did not pass Armenia by. According to the common practice terrorism is actively benefited by the separatist forces and the states supporting them as a tool for achieving political goals. One of these states is a Republic of Armenia who has territorial claims on neighbouring countries (Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia) and supports the international terrorist organizations operating against the above-mentioned countries.
After achieving the state independence extremism and violence shaped the system of political struggle in Armenia. The leaders of this country raised terrorism to the level of state policy in order to justify the ethnic cleansing implemented by them through the Armenian regular army in Azerbaijani territory, through illegal armed units made up of the Armenians residing the Mountainous-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and through international terrorists wanted by a lot of states of the world.
Terrorist feature of the regime existing in Armenia was progressing on the ground of social disorientation of its citizens and the critical state of Armenian society thus causing the most part of the country's population to be reduced to penury. From other hand having benefited from the social tension inside the country, opposition forces started to create new myths purposely poisoning the mind of Armenian society and characterized with the appeals for struggle by violente means. Namely such kind of developments lead to the establishment of internal terrorism in Armenia by extremist opposition forces thus generating violence, in other words terrorism of regime systematically carried out by state.
Governing body of Armenia endeavouring to reabilitate the leaders of international terrorist groups since the early 90th, had launched large-scale campaign aimed at concentrating the most active members of such radical organizations of Armenian diaspora as "Dashnaksutyun", ASALA, MAG, "Armenian union", "Armenian Liberation Front" and other terrorist ones in the territory of the country, granted them political asylum by providing political-legal terms for their activities and supplied them with money, weapons, forged documents as well as transport.
Meanwhile terrorists, weapons and financial aid had been transferred to Azerbaijani territory densely inhabited by Armenians under pretext of the aid. Futhermore release and support of Armenians - perpetrators of terrorist acts against Turkish diplomatic missions had been organised at state level in Armenia.
The above-mentioned process was given particularly wide scope after Robert Kocharyan ascended the power. Following president Levon Ter-Petrosyan's resignation the members of terrorist organizations "Dro" and "Vaan Ovanesyan+31" were released "due to the change of political situation" by the first decrees of acting president and prime-minister R.Kocharyan. An interesting point was that this action had been done out of any formal judicial judgement on premature releasing or closing the case.
Initially Grant Markaryan, well-known terrorist of Iranian citrizenship was released. Being a bureau member of "Dashnaksutyun" he was transferred from Armenia to Karabakh on the basis of forged documents in 1991. Markaryan together with Monte Melkonyan and Vazgen Sislyan, other well-known terrorists were entitled more or less as "Heros of Karabakh war" on an initiative of R.Kocharyan. Vazgen Sislyan who was sent to Khankandi in 1992 benefited terrorist acts perpetrated by him jointly with Abu Ali, Gilbert Minasyan and other terrorists from Near East in order to draw the attention of the international community to Armenian issue. Following Kocaryan's election to the presidency Vaan Ovanesyan, leader of "Dashnaksutyun" who was sentenced to imprisonment for terrorist activities of "Dro" organization in 1996, was released from Yerevan prison on president's initiative.
Following such kind of support rendered by the authorities to the terrorists who had turned to be a part of the political power in Armenia, the country was shrouded in terror wave (murder of general prosecutor, deputy ministers for interior and defence). The bloodshed carried out in Armenian parliament on 27 october 1999 was an unprecedented event which did not have analogue in the history of world terrorism. As five terrorists (four out of them were "Dashnaksutyun" members) on quietly entering the sitting hall of the parliament midday shot down five ministers, speaker of parliament and his three deputies. Futhermore several members of parliament and a member of the cabinet of ministers got wounded. Terrorists headed by Nairi Unanyan, former member of "Dashnaksutyun" had been keeping hostages the members of parliament as well as almost all government officials within 15 hours. Only following the meeting with president Kocharyan and his verbal guarantee for the physical immunity of the life of the bloody action participants the terrorists unconditionally surrendered to the authorities. Human rights defender P.Ayrikyan was noting in this regard: "On 27 October 1999 terrorist act was commited in Armenian parliament - ten persons were murdered". K.Damirchiyan, chairman of Popular Party of Armenia was also among the victims of terror. His son said the following in his statement to the media: "Not everything related with the crime perpetrated on October 27 has become clear. Only one thing is clear: government of republic is actually protecting terrorists". However Edward Ovanesyan, one of "Dashnaksutyun" ideologists had stated to "Postfactum" programme of "A+1" TV company that it was still early to assess the events of October 27 as terrorist act and only after the political assessment of the activities, personality and deeds of the murdered persons by history the above-mentioned events could be assessed.
Following the parliamentary elections of 2003 "Dashnaksutyun" was again represented by three ministers in the government (notably if taking into consideration that party member Levon Mkrtichyan was in charge for education and enlightment and his party colleague Roland Sharoyan for culture, youth and sport, one could obviously see the determinant role of "Dashnaksutyun" in bringing up the country's future potential and commonly its future generation), moreover Vaan Ovanesyan, party member and chief of its terrorist group "Vaan Ovanesyan+31" who had been "due to the change of political situation" released by the first decrees of Kocharyan was appointed counsellor of the president, Hrayr Karapetyan, another party spokesman was appointed the governor of the province of Aragatson.
On 25 November 1997 at the memorial night of Monte Melkonyan organized in the building of Yerevan philarmony it was said in the submitted address of Kocharyan: "... Artsakh has been liberated and Monte Melkonyan has given his life as a sacrifice for it, this can never be forgotton". Afterwards the above-mentioned international terrrorist was declared a national hero of Armenia and his name was given to one of the subversive centers of the Ministry for Defence of Armenia.
The indicated facts are known to the world community as well. Alan Fogelkwist, head of Eurasian Center in California in the chapter on Karabakh of the book entitled "Caucasus. War and peace. New World Order and Caucasus" discloses the behind-the-scenes side of the initial stage of the conflict - deportation of Azerbaijanis from their historical homelands in Armenia, the role of Armenians of non-Karabakh descent in the developments taking place in Mountainous Karabakh, Sumgayit events, "Black January" events in Baku. In that book Dutch journalist Charlz van der Leu on touching the issue of Armenian terrorism indicates that former ASALA terrorists Davidyan and Melkonyan who have come from Lebanon to Karabakh and taken service with Kocharyan in the capacity of field commanders have played an important part in the political career of the future president of Armenia and namely these two persons are accountable for slaughtering Azerbaijanis in Khojali, Shusha and Lachin. He also notes that ASALA which transformed into "Vrej" by changing its name is connected with secret services of Armenia and Russia, as the above-mentioned terrorist organization owns its representatives in Rostov from where it has been perpetrating terrorist acts in the passanger trains moving towards Azerbaijan in 1994-1996.
Another American poltical researcher Samuel Weems came to the following conclusion: "Politically motivated murders are ordinary cases in today's Armenia. The mayor of country's capital Yerevan complained of interstate corruption and was murdered. Most people trying to protest discussed the abuses of power by authorities and were murdered".
Slaughters were carried out in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia on the eve of Kocaryan's coming to power. In Armenian sources Kocaryan's coming to power is called "velvety coup" and this case in its turn is explained by the fact that extremism and violence turned to be an integral attribute of the political life in Armenia. In compliance with Article 50 of the Constitution of Armenia, each person who reached the age of 35, has been a citizen as well as living in the territory of the Republic of Armenia within last 10 years and enjoying suffrage can be a president of the Republic of Armenia". For that reason today the Constituion is not running in Armenia. However R.Kocharyan, ex-president of Armenia as a guarantor of Constituion was not legitimate. As when taking his office he had not been a citizen of the Republic of Armenia within last 10 years.
Ashot Blenyan, chairman of "New way" party, former minister for education applied in 1998 to the country's Constitutional Court demanding to check the legality of the registration of Kocharyan's candidature to the presidency. Instead, following Kocharyan's election to the presidency in 1998 he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on the basis of charges on economical crimes fabricated by the court.
"Present president of Armenia R.Kocharyan is gulty of plunder and loot carried out during the capture of Azerbaijani city of Aghdam and after looting Aghdam Kochrayan considers that our country can be looted as well". Leader of Republican party Aram Sarkisyan had characterized Kocharyan's activities through the above-mentioned statement. It should be noted that Kocharyan was heading a big illegal armed detachment called "Mountainous Karabakh self-defense" detachment (later on "Mountainous Karabakh Army") during the active military operations in Mountainous Karabakh. Well-known international terrorists from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, as well as France and Canada were fighting against Azerbaijan within this detachment.
In paralell with all the above-mentioned, deputy chairman of Armenian National Movement A.Ovakimyan having characterized internal political situation in Armenia as anarchy considers terrorist acts emanating from such situation to be logical thus reminding of the atmosphere of intolerance, fury and hatred created in the country. In 2003 during presidential elections in Armenia Kocharyan and his mileu applied methods of terror in order to keep the power in their hands. However two weeks before the above-mentioned elections in the center of the district of Artashat near Yerevan an attempt was made upon the life of Ayka Babukhanyan who had joined the pre-election demonstration of Aram Karapetyan, chairman of "Union of constitutional law" party, member of Armenian parliament and candidate to the presidency. Having got a knife wound in the back she was taken to one of Yerevan hospitals and operated there. The victim herself assessed the indicated incident as one of the violent actions planned by authorities against their rivals.
Kocharyan and his mileu did not conceal their close cooperation with various terrorist groups including ASALA. Most likely among the close people of Kocharyan there were members of terrorist group "Dro" who were keeping direct contact with security, defence and law enforcement agencies of Armenia. As terrorist group "Dro" whose main activities consisted of drug trafficking and transportation, implementation of the ordered murders and participation in criminal disputes, was headed by well-known international terrorist Grant Markaryan. However a person called Petrosyan had been murdered by Kocharyan's personal bodyguard who was at the same time an active member of "Dro".
Having characterized the situation emerged in Armenia lawyer M.Danielyan was writing: "... Let us take Common Declaration on Human Rights - in line with all 30 articles human rights are being harrased in Armenia. ...Judiciary has been corrupted from top to bottom. Judges are not dependent, to be exact they do not depend only on the laws. All judicial proceedings are attended by the guard armed with submachime gun... Police arbitrariness passes all bounds. The fate of the arrested persons are determined in penal colonies, just there they receive their judgments. All detainees are faced with psycological and physical pressures".
The reports of US state department indicate that combatting international terrorism makes up one of the priority guidelines of this state's activities in the area of ensuring its national interests. Nevertheless, among over 500 terrorist organizations operating in most regions of the world, the United States take notice solely of the ones threatening its national interests. Such kind of choice facilitated ASALA, "Dashnaksutyun" and other Armenian terrorist organizations which actively cooperate with most international terrorist organizations and comitted numerous bloody actions against the citizens of various countries including US, to escape the balck list. Simultaneously despite the fact that Armenia is pushing the policy of terror in the region, providing material-technical assistance to the most terrorist organizations, granting asylum to the well-known international terrorists in its territory and promoting the leaders and members of terorrist organization "Dashnaksutyun" to the highest public posts, this state has not been enlisted by American experts as the state sponsoring international terrorism.
However the terrorists after perpetrating terrorist acts in other states are granted political asylum in Armenia, any kind of condition for their rest and treatment is provided, campaigns directed to justifying terrorism by applying dirty information technologies are conducted, image of "national heros", "fighters for justice" are created for terrorists at state level. As state policy on reabilitation of the most active members of international Armenian terrorist groups (these groups set off explosion in "Orly" airport and Moscow Underground in 70-80th of the previous century, murdered Turkish diplomats in Sweden and Greece, captured Turkish embassy in Paris and perpetrated a number of other crimes) is pursued in this country. Declaring the well-known international terrorist Monte Melkonyan a national hero of Armenia is an obvious example for this, as the above-mentioned person at times comitted terrorist acts in France, lead terrorist groups in Mountainous Karabakh, took the most active part in mass murder and deportation of Azerbaijanis. Furthermore, well-known terrorist Grant Markaryan and Vazgen Sislyan who was one of the organizers of capture of Turkish embassy in Paris in 1981 were ranked as "Hero of Karabakh war" for their active engagement in the terrorist acts carried out against Azerbaijan.
In the context of the above-mentioned facts an attitude of the entire Armenian society to the terrorist acts and the executors of these acts can not prevent an interest generated in this regard. A long-term activities of the committee for protection of the rights of Varujan Karapetyan (Syria-born Armenian terrorist and ASALA member who was arrested by French police for installing explosive setting in Turkish Airlines office in Orly airport (8 civilians perished due to the start up of that setting) and sentenced to imprisonment for life by the decision of court dated from 3 March 1985) in Armenia proves the particularity of this attitude. The committee which demanded the release of the "popular revenger" held a signiture collecting campaign through the opportunities of Echmiadzin church thus collecting 1 227 473 signitures. One of 6th classes of Yerevan school was named after Karapetyan as well as exhibition of his pictures was arranged in Echmiadzin and Yerevan. President L.Ter-Petrosyan's apply to his French colleague J.Shirak regarding pardoning Karapetyan, participation of Armenian political elite headed by Kocharyan in the solemn funeral of the well-known international terrorist Monte Melkonyan (the funeral were attended by 50 thousand persons including terrorist's "colleagues" from Iran, Syria and Lebanon) testifies the sympathy to the terrorists expressed by the highest authorities of the above-mentioned country.
On 23 Aprel 2001 French court released Karapetyan before his time (if considering that 24 Aprel is declared by Armenians "day of genocide", releasing Karapetyan by French court one day earlier this date arises attention) on condition that he abandon the borders of France within the shortest while. In the court decision the necessity for providing Karapetyan with a job by Yerevan mayor as well as granting him asylum by Armenian authorities was being stressed. In Armenia prime minister Andronik Markaryan received Karapetyan by praising him for the heroic fight carried out for his motherland and charged the minister for health with a duty of taking the terrorist's health under special controle. The criminal was received very grandiloguently by Armenian society as well. However media representatives who were waiting very excitedly for press conference organized in Armenia on May of 2001, on forgetting for an instance the reason of their coming together, continuously applauded entering person who was to highlight them. This man was not a diplomat, politician, worldwide famous sportsman or artsman, he was just ASALA terrorist, bloody killer Varujan Karapetyan who had written his name in numerous crimes.
The press-conference held by Journalists' Union of Armenia on the eve of September events of 2001 (explosion of the World Trade Center building in New-York city of the United States) were attended by ASALA members as well. Notwithstanding the repeated denial of the existence of the indicated organization by Armenian officials and media representatives, ASALA members as a protest to the definite articles lately published in the media and assessing the activities of the above-mentioned organization as terroristic one, made the following statement on the course of the conference: "Activities of ASALA has nothing to do with terrorism. In the terms of the existence of Armenian state these activities carries political character and is directed to the revival of motherland. ASALA was founded as a reaction to the indifferent attitude displayed by the great powers with regard to the problem of recognition of Armenian genocide of 1915 thus turning to the organization uniting Armenian diaspora and stating that Armenian issue was waiting for its solution". The indicated information spread by Armenian information agency Arminfo can be called sensation.
On 10 April 2002 one of the courts of first instance of Yerevan complied with an action on providing Armenian terrorist Vano Siradegyan wanted by Interpol with a certificate of the place of residence, the indicated action had been brought by "Armenian national movement" party. A moment generating related interest was that a certificate had been given to the above-mentioned terrorist for the enrollment of his candidature to the membership of Armenian parliament. According to RIA "Novosti" Armenian terrorist V.Siradegyan had been wanted by Interopol for two years.
When talking of perceiving terrorism by Armenian public on the light of special sympathy with this inhuman phenomenon expressed by the political elite of the indicated country, it should be noted that in Armenia when the issue is terrorists this word instantly refreshes the surname "Teyleryan" (Armenian terrorist who murdered Talat pasha, former minister for interior of Ottoman empire, blaming him as one of the major organizers of the made-up Armenian genoside, in Berlin in 1921) in memories. In the mentality of contemporary Armenian society the notion of terrorist is associated with the names of Simon Ter-Petrosyan, nicknamed as "legendary revolutioner" or "Kamo" as well as with the names of "popular revengers" Sogomon Teyleryan, Varujan Karapetyan, Monte Melkonyan and other "national heroes" who gained fame by putting their signitures in numerous crimes against humanity. The public-opinion poll held by Armenian National Sciences Academy among 600 respondents in Yerevan immediately following the tragedy of 27 September 1999 (shooting down the members of parliament) proves that. However 26,8% of the indicated respondents stated that the deed of terrorists was a step taken to save the country and the nation. Another public-opinion poll held among Yerevan students (2070 respondents) in December of 1999 put forward analogical outcomes - nearly 25% of respondents justified the deed of terrorists.
Furthermore, Armenian political scientist T.Akopyan considers that act of terror is associated with a noble idea as well as with a misson of justice in the mass consciousness of Armenian society and the shadow of the indicated justice leans on "Armenian reveng acts" and "ethnoterrorism". So political and intellectual elite of Armenia is not going to give up worshipping terror (inauguration of Sogomon Teyleryan's monument in Yerevan on 8 August 2003 is an obvious evidence of that) which has been existing within decades in the country. Armenian intellegentsia and political elite calles Teyleryan "loyal and dignified national hero who did his sacred duty before his murdered innocent relatives and entirely Armenian people". They assert that his "saint name" is always in the tounge of Armenian people and Armenians should proudly remember and shamelessly pronounce this name. We guess that an erection of the monument to terrorist Teyleryan in Yerevan is an obviuos example of support rendered by Armenian authorities to violence thus serving this country's long-term plan for preserving Armenians' mass psychosis on creating mythical "Great Armenia".
At the beinning of 2002 a plan of terrorist acts to be carried out against Turkey and Azerbaijan was adopted in the meeting of the world's various Armenian organizations held in Armenian religious center in Bucharest. In the meeting Arakelyan, "Dashnaksutyun" spokesman stated that the victims of Armenian terror should not be Arabians and other Moslems but Turks and Azerbaijanis. It should be noted that participants of this event had also a meeting with Karen Kasyan, Armenian ambassador to Romania. This fact indicated that the above-mentioned meeting had been arranged with a permission of official Yerevan.
Regadless of being characterized as interstate terrorism, terrorism of regime or terrorism of system carries a global character being inherent in no ideology. This form of violence historically and currently doing harm to separate persons as well as to entire peoples makes up a separate type of terrorism irrespective of form of applying. In this regard since achievement of state independence Armenian authorities have been pursuing the policy of violence and terror with respect to their citizens. Terrorism was made a state policy as well as a major tool for external and internal policy mechanism by Armenian authorities. The forces who under the slogan "Struggle for Karabakh Armenians right to self-determination" benefited from terrorism for the purpose of ensuring their ideological deeds and ambitious territorial claims, came to power in this country. Moreover, terrorism as a serious thread to international security fully benefites from the moral support of Armenian society.