ՃԱՆԱՉԵԼ ԻՄԱՍՏՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ ԵՒ ԶԽՐԱՏ, ԻՄԱՆԱԼ ԶԲԱՆՍ ՀԱՆՃԱՐՈՅ
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Ալեքսանդր Վարպետյանին Հայաստանից վտարման առեղծվածային գործի մանրամասները շարքից
06/08.2007, "Հետքի" արձագանքը "Օվիրի" պատասխանին
  
Նյութը վերցված է "Հետքի" ինտերնետային կայքից` http://archive.hetq.am/eng/politics/0708-varpetyan.html :
 
Does Varbedian Pose A Security Risk To The Republic Of Armenia?
        While French citizen Alexandre Varbedian has been prohibited entry into Armenia for the past five years, he still hasn't been able to uncover the reasons why. (See: Alexandre Varbedian – “Blacklisted” for 5 Years). In a letter sent to the Chief of the Passport and Visa Department of the Armenian Police “Hetq” requested that the reasons denying A. Varbedian the right to enter Armenia be disclosed as well as the current status of former Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan's suggestion that the case be reviewed. What follows is the response of S. Aghajanyan, the Department Deputy Chief, to our letter. “ Since 2002, French citizen Alexandre Varbedian's requests to receive residency status in Armenia, as well as invitation letters from Armenia, have been refused according to the specifications cited in Article 9 and Paragraph 12 of Article 25 of the former legal statues relating to ‘ The Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Republic of Armenia ‘.
        In accordance with the requirements of Subsections 3 and 6 of Section 1, Article 8 of the law ‘Regarding Foreign Citizens', which went into effect on February 4, 2007, a review of the case relating to the granting of an entry visa to AS. Varbedian is impossible.”
        “Article 8 of the law ‘Regarding Foreign Citizens' pertains to: The granting or refusal of entry visas and visa extensions, to foreign citizens; declaring entry visas to be invalid; and prohibiting entry into the country. In compliance with Section 1, of Article 8, foreign citizens are refused entry visa and visa extensions; entry visas that have been granted are considered invalid and entry into the Republic of Armenia is prohibited, if the following take effect:
            Subsection 3: There is a credible basis to conclude that the individual in question is engaging in such actions; is participating, organizing or is a member in an organization whose aim is to:
                • Inflict damage to the national security of the Republic of Armenia; overthrow the constitutional system or weaken the national defenses.
                • To carry-out acts of terrorism
                • The illegal cross-border transportation of arms, weapons, explosives, radioactive materials, drugs, hallucinogens, or
                • To engage in human trafficking and/or unauthorized border crossings
            Subsection 6: The individual poses other serious and fundamental threats to the national security or public welfare of the Republic of Armenia
        It must be noted that at the same time the activities of the ‘Essence' national truth temple, which Varbedian established and registered in Armenia, have tapered off ever since 1990. In 2002 “A1+” wrote that Varbedian wasn't being allowed to reside in Armenia because he belonged to a sect.
        “They never officially accused us of being sect members. In 2002 when the issue of my residency status wasn't transferred to the Ovir (Passport Department) a deputy named Vahakn described the request as not being ‘appropriate'. This was the same official response given to Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan in 2005. This entire sect issue is the apex of idiotic slander (probably designed to suit the parameters of the law). We only engaged in the pursuit of learning. Sects like the Jehovah's Witnesses and many others are registered by the state...” Alexandre Varbedian angrily notes.
        So, in the five years that A. Varbedian has been prohibited from entering Armenia, he himself hasn't been able to find out the reasons why, either true or false. And even with the bits and pieces the officials include in their responses to our inquiries on the matter, we are still at a loss to understand why the Republic of Armenia continues to close its borders to such a world famous scientist and intellectual. We can only assume that the key to solving this puzzle or as Varbedian puts it, exposing the ‘head of the dog', lies with the President of Armenia or his subordinates.
                     Vahe Sarukhyan,
                        Translated by Hrant Gadarigian