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AZG Armenian Daily #211, 19/11/2005
Concern
'SKINHEADS BECOME AGGRESSIVE WHEN IN A GANG'
"At first I felt sudden pain at the back of my head. I turned around and saw
a group of violent teenagers coming on me. Trying to handle the situation I
blocked their punches but seeing there was no place to retreat I took the
offensive. Thank God I had some knowledge in taekwondo," tells Armenian
citizen Bagrat Poghosian, 30, who was attacked in Moscow underground because
of being dark-haired.
Late at night at around 11 pm, a big group of shaved-headed teenagers in
black jackets and boots entered the carriage. Not to get into trouble Bagrat
moved to a corner and stood with his back to the young passengers.
"From one station to the other," Bagrat tells, "I was using my fists. But
then I felt that my fingers ach and grabbed the handrail now defending
myself from the knife strokes of these suckers with my legs. When the
carriage stopped at the next station both the frightened passengers and
these drivellers got out. I saw two man lying on the carriage floor. As TV
informed the next night, one of them was an Azerbaijani, the other a Tajik.
They both were barely alive. Getting out to the waiting hall I moved to the
escalator and just that moment I felt pain on my left hand. Tapping the
hurting spot I found my hand in blood; I did not even feel I was stabbed.
That very moment a policeman came up to me, 'Were they also aggressive to
you?', 'Just the contrary,' I replied. Shortly, almost all police chiefs of
the region gathered, and they tried to persuade me to cover this case up.
Frankly speaking, I would agree as I was not the defeated side but the
representatives of the prosecutor's office and federal security and the
policemen could do nothing."
Bagrat was taken to hospital and his wound was sutured. "The condition of
the Azeri and Tajik victims was even worse, and they underwent hours-long
operations on their bones. But they both avoid legal process fearing
difficulties."
"And are you not afraid," I ask Bagrat. "Those so-called skinheads are
impudent only when acting in a gang, but when they are alone they are humble
as sheep. Most of them are teenagers from poor families who are being used
by nationalistic circles. They have 5 lawyers."
"How many do you have?"
"None. But to avoid provocation and pressure I turned to Muscovite lawyer
Simon Tsaturian. Even if those skinheads are temporarily jailed that would
be relief."
I met Simon Tsaturian. Regrettably, the experienced lawyer gets more and
more "specialized" in such cases with involvement of Armenian citizens.
"Such incidents," he says, "are increasingly taking on political hue. The
fact that all three victims were foreigners means that their only fault was
in being swarthy and dark-haired.
"Situation in Russia is very contradictory. On One hand nationalistic groups
revolt against "illegal" influx of all kinds of colored people, on the other
hand, the authorities do nothing to settle the issue by means of laws. I
think it's time to open an organization to protect rights of national
minorities and engage both specialists and influential Armenians from
different fields. I think the Armenian embassy can do an essential part in
defending Armenians in Russia."
"In our fight with skinhead gangs we need cooperate with all healthy forces
of Russia," Dr Simon Kakhian, spearhead of "Protection of Rights: 21st
Century" movement, says. He thinks that the experience of Armenian
communities in struggle against the skinhead gangs in some regions of Russia
can teach certain things. For instance in the Saratov region the Armenians
make up mobile groups of physically strong youth on days of the highest
activity of nationalist gangs (such as Adolph Hitler's birthday) that
protect local Armenians from possible violation.
In his TV appearance Bagrat Poghosian also expressed his gratitude to those
Russians helped him during the incident.
By Ruben Hayrapetian in Moscow
Concern
'SKINHEADS BECOME AGGRESSIVE WHEN IN A GANG'
"At first I felt sudden pain at the back of my head. I turned around and saw
a group of violent teenagers coming on me. Trying to handle the situation I
blocked their punches but seeing there was no place to retreat I took the
offensive. Thank God I had some knowledge in taekwondo," tells Armenian
citizen Bagrat Poghosian, 30, who was attacked in Moscow underground because
of being dark-haired.
Late at night at around 11 pm, a big group of shaved-headed teenagers in
black jackets and boots entered the carriage. Not to get into trouble Bagrat
moved to a corner and stood with his back to the young passengers.
"From one station to the other," Bagrat tells, "I was using my fists. But
then I felt that my fingers ach and grabbed the handrail now defending
myself from the knife strokes of these suckers with my legs. When the
carriage stopped at the next station both the frightened passengers and
these drivellers got out. I saw two man lying on the carriage floor. As TV
informed the next night, one of them was an Azerbaijani, the other a Tajik.
They both were barely alive. Getting out to the waiting hall I moved to the
escalator and just that moment I felt pain on my left hand. Tapping the
hurting spot I found my hand in blood; I did not even feel I was stabbed.
That very moment a policeman came up to me, 'Were they also aggressive to
you?', 'Just the contrary,' I replied. Shortly, almost all police chiefs of
the region gathered, and they tried to persuade me to cover this case up.
Frankly speaking, I would agree as I was not the defeated side but the
representatives of the prosecutor's office and federal security and the
policemen could do nothing."
Bagrat was taken to hospital and his wound was sutured. "The condition of
the Azeri and Tajik victims was even worse, and they underwent hours-long
operations on their bones. But they both avoid legal process fearing
difficulties."
"And are you not afraid," I ask Bagrat. "Those so-called skinheads are
impudent only when acting in a gang, but when they are alone they are humble
as sheep. Most of them are teenagers from poor families who are being used
by nationalistic circles. They have 5 lawyers."
"How many do you have?"
"None. But to avoid provocation and pressure I turned to Muscovite lawyer
Simon Tsaturian. Even if those skinheads are temporarily jailed that would
be relief."
I met Simon Tsaturian. Regrettably, the experienced lawyer gets more and
more "specialized" in such cases with involvement of Armenian citizens.
"Such incidents," he says, "are increasingly taking on political hue. The
fact that all three victims were foreigners means that their only fault was
in being swarthy and dark-haired.
"Situation in Russia is very contradictory. On One hand nationalistic groups
revolt against "illegal" influx of all kinds of colored people, on the other
hand, the authorities do nothing to settle the issue by means of laws. I
think it's time to open an organization to protect rights of national
minorities and engage both specialists and influential Armenians from
different fields. I think the Armenian embassy can do an essential part in
defending Armenians in Russia."
"In our fight with skinhead gangs we need cooperate with all healthy forces
of Russia," Dr Simon Kakhian, spearhead of "Protection of Rights: 21st
Century" movement, says. He thinks that the experience of Armenian
communities in struggle against the skinhead gangs in some regions of Russia
can teach certain things. For instance in the Saratov region the Armenians
make up mobile groups of physically strong youth on days of the highest
activity of nationalist gangs (such as Adolph Hitler's birthday) that
protect local Armenians from possible violation.
In his TV appearance Bagrat Poghosian also expressed his gratitude to those
Russians helped him during the incident.
By Ruben Hayrapetian in Moscow