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Persecution of nonapostolic religious organisations in Armenia. Part 1
Dear friends,
The following posting and a few after this contains information about very terrible
events going on right now in Armenia.
Representatives of different (in Armenia) " non-traditional" religious groups are severly
persecuted by representatives from the Armenian government. Representatives of the
Armenian church have also been involved in these events as well.
We urge you that you take part of the information that is given and that, if you so feel
inspired, please make a protest to the Armenian President by faxing him directly. His
faxnumber will be given below.
If you have further questions please write an e-amil to me or comment to these postings.
Best regards,
Petter Claesson fax:+46-8-530-25006 or +46-8-530-25068
Korsnäs Gård e-mail: petter@algonet.se or premarnava.hks@com.bbt.se
S-147 92 Grödinge, Sweden
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Repression of Religious Freedom in Armenia.
======================================
Woman and Invilad Injured in Attack on Krishna Temple.
Hare Krishna followers in Armenia have been violently attacked for the
third time in six months.
The most recent attack, which took place on the 18th. of April, destroyed
the Krishna temple in Yerevan and left twelve Krishna followers,
including one woman and an invilid, requiring hospital treatment.
Devotees are now in hiding and in fear of further beatings.
The attack on the Hare Krishna community was the most brutal assualt of
many assualts which have involved various minority religious
organisations in the last two weeks of April.
Marina Kutzian, senior lecturer in Sociology at Yerevan University has
stated, " I want to underline that in all of these cases one finds the same
handwriting. One or two cars with people in military uniform, at least
some of them in that kind of clothing, drive up to a place and attack
people. No reaction by the police.
"In the case of Hare Krishna, victims had bloody wounds, the temple was
destroyed, all property was stolen. According to my impression and
informal information which I was able to collect, a paramilitary
group did this. This paramilitary group was organized in Armenia before our
national Army was established.
"But after that, this group was not disorganized nor included in the
regular Army. So, on the one hand, it is not official, but on the other
hand it is well known that they are supervised by government officials,
especially by the Minister of Defense. I have the very strong
impression that this group is now used by officials against their
ideological opponents."
The Armenian daily newspaper "Golos Armenyi", wrote on 27th. April, "It
seems that in our society there is a group of absolutely defenseless
people, who can be constantly beaten and terrorised". Further on in his
report the journalist asserts, "In other words we are dealing with a case
of pre-planned and wide-spread assualt [on various religions].
The Pentecostal, Baptist, 7th. Day Adventist, Bahai and Charismatic
Churches were also attacked and harrassed. Hallmark features of all the
attacks are:
The involvment of paramilitary forces.
The fact that the police ignore complaints and fail to offer any
protection to vunirable communities.
The neglect of the Armenian Church to offer protection to minority
religions and their false accusiations which lend symphaty to the
motivations of assilaints.
The failure of the government to offer any security to minorities or to
apprehend or control attackers.
We appeal for your help. This barbarious campaign against legally
registered religions in Armenia should not be allowed to continue. Pressure and support
from the international community is the only approach that will make any
impression on events within Armenia. Please register your objection to
these events by contacting your local Armenian Embassy or Consulate. You
could address your objection to the Armenian President:
Mr. Levon Ter-Pertosian
President of Armenia
Fax: +7 (8852) 521581.
We would very much appreciate copies of any correspondence you have with
Armenian authorities on this issue. Copies may be sent to the address
below.
The Amercian Embassy in Yerevan have also compiled a backround report on
the recent attacks. This is available by contacting the Americian Embassy
directly by Telephone on; +7.8852.151144 and on Fax ; +7.8852.151138.
Ambesty International have also taken up the the Hare Krishna case.
Please help in our campaign for justice.
ISKCON Report on the Attack
On the 18th. April, 1995 at 3pm (local time) twenty or twenty-five unknown
men stormed into the ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple in Yerevan.
At the time of the attack seventeen people were present in the temple
(eleven males, four females and three children). The thugs were armed with
automatic weapons, submachine guns, guns, metal rods and metal chains.
They arrived at the temple in three cars with no registration plates.
The intruders immediately started to severely beat all the people present,
kicking them and hitting them with metal rods. After a short time the
ladies and children were thrown out of the house but the men
continued to be beaten. Amongst those singled out for a more vicious
assault were one invalid and a Russian national.
As these assaults were taking place other members of this group were
destroying the temple. They desecrated and destroyed the altar, the
paraphernalia for worship, scriptures, paintings etc. All the windows and
household fixtures were also damaged.
The raid lasted about forty-five minutes and before they left the
intruders stole everything of value that they could find. Three thousand
US dollars in cash was stolen as were telephones, the fax machine, a
computer, printer, modem, a video-camera, two video recorders, foodstuff,
a small marble table and even pots from the kitchen. They robbed
individuals' passports, wristwatches and even whatever small change they
found in the pockets of their victims. They also tried to steal a car
outside the temple but failing to do so they siphoned the petrol from it
instead.
The police were alerted several times by various people but, although they
said that they would come no one arrived. In an effort to appeal for help,
one Hare Krishna member, covered in blood, went to the police station. His
petitions were ignored, although one policeman commented that
this had happened because the Hare Krishna members were deviating from the
national tradition.
Shortly after this incident a well-dressed man walked into the temple and
announced that this attack happened because the Hare Krishna followers did
not adhere to the national Church. He then left in a Russian made Volga
car without registration plates.
Most of the people beaten were severely injured and had to receive
hospital treatment. All of the male members sustained head injuries.
For further information and updates on this campaign please contact:
ISKCON Communications Europe
6 Quarry Court, Helen's Bay, Co. Down BT19 1TY,
Northern Ireland.
Tel./Fax: +44.1247.852796
or
petter@algonet.se
or
premarnava.hks@com.bbt.se
