PETITION TO BAN THE ENTRY OF MEMBERS OF ARMENIA’S OLIGARCHIC GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT MEMBERS INTO THE UNITED STATES

 The Republic of Armenia has been ruled by an oligarchic authoritarian regime for 20 years.  A state in which the ruling elite has closely controlled political and economic opportunities, all democratic institutions, including elections and the mainstream media, and an army leadership which has been appointed by the ruling Republican Party since 1999. Serj Sargsyan has ruled the country since 2008.  He was facing constitutional limits on his term in 2018.  In 2013, Sargsyan launched constitutional reforms that transformed the country from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary system, so as to extend his rule.  These “reforms” gave the Prime Minister most powers previously vested  with the president.  What’s more, a new electoral system was introduced that grants disproportionate advantages to the ruling Republican Party, easing its ability to form a stable parliamentary majority.

Major protests started in March 31, 2018 as part of a wave of self-organized, nonviolent acts of civil disobedience across Armenia.  In a country marked by low trust in its institutions, record-high levels of poverty and corruption, the protesters unified around calls for Sargsyan’s resignation.  More profound was that Armenians demanded justice, dignity, the rule of law and the end of government corruption.  The protests were distinctly peaceful, drawing tens of thousands of people to the streets. Sargsyan’s resignation on Monday April 23, 2018 was met with celebrations—barbecues and music—around the country.  But the protesters are still continuing.  They demand that the opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan—who led the movement—be elected by parliament as prime minister and, that the ruling Republican Party be dismissed from parliament.

 The ruling Republican Party did everything to disable and prevent Nikol Pashinyan from becoming the next prime minister of Armenia.  During parliament session held on May 1st, 2018 the Republican majority voted against the one and only candidate that the people of Armenia and who Armenians from all over the world had chosen and agreed to become the next prime minister of Armenia. 

 The totality of the Armenian government's ongoing and increasingly repetitive pattern of disruptive actions on an international scale — most notably, its efforts to subvert democracies have been limitless.  Every single candidate belonging to the current Republican Party has been brought to power due to corruption, electoral fraud and active participation in illegal/criminal activities, not only in Armenia but all over the world. The Armenian Oligarchs shielded by the Republic Party have been in power for more than twenty years by suppressing various levels of human rights and subverting the justice system, including suppression of freedom of speech, hijacking justice and dismissing the court system. Additionally, the Oligarchs and the members of the Republican Party, having the majority power in the government, has been in control of the national police, defense, justice and almost every other system in the country by using them against their own people numerous times. 

 We, the Armenian-American diaspora, the proud citizens and legal permanent residents of the United States have learned to live in a democratic country where every single person’s voice is heard, rights are respected, and justice is served.

 We request that the United States Government, it’s State Department, the Department of Homeland Security (Immigration and Citizenship agencies) to ban the entrance and deny the opportunity to apply for residential status in the United States—for any and all purposes—the names listed in this petition and their family members. 

We present to you the list of the Armenian oligarchs, past and present members of the Republican Party.  They may soon attempt to enter the United States, temporarily or permanently, to continue their corrupt and illegal activities in the United States by abusing the United States’ laws and  resources for their own fraud, corruption, money laundering and to flee from the consequences of many criminal and civil actions they are responsible for in Armenia.

 The names are:

1.       Arpine Hovhannisyan

2.       Ara Babloyan

3.       Armen Ashotyan

4.       Eduard Sharmazanov

5.       Margarit Esayan

6.       Samvel Farmanyan

7.       Karen Avagyan

8.       Galust Sahakyan

9.       Hermine Nagdalyan

10.    Gagik Minasyan

11.    Samvel Nikoyan

12.    Tachar Vardapetyan

13.    Shushan Petrosyan

14.    Manvel Grigoryan

15.    Artashes Geghamyan

16.    Khosrov Harutyunyan

17.    Shushan Sardaryan

18.    Hayk Babughyan

19.    Vahan Harutyunyan

20.    Jemma Baghdasaryan

21.    Gevorg Kostanyan

22.    Mihran Hakobyan

23.    Arman Saghatelyan

24.    Ruzanna Muradyan

25.    Gagik Melikyan

26.    Karen Baqaryan

27.    Sirak Torosyan

28.    Karine Ajemyan

29.    Rostam Makhmudyan

30.    Arsem Mikhaylov

31.    Knyaz Hasanov

32.    Robert Sargsyan

33.    Mihran Poghosyan

34.    Artak Sargsyan

35.    Artur Gevorgyan

36.    Samvel Aleksanyan

37.    Araik Hovhannisyan

38.    Koryun Nahapetyan

39.    Hakob Beglarayn

40.    Harutyun Karapogosyan

41.    Araik Grigoryan

42.    Murad Muradyan

43.    Alik Sargsyan

44.    Nahapet Georgyan

45.    Sedrak Saroyan

46.    Nairi Sahakyan

47.    Rafik Grigoryan

48.    Hakob Hakobyan

49.    Karen Karapetyan

50.    Vahram Baghdasaryan

51.    Arkadi Hambarzumyan

52.    Andranik Harutyunyan

53.    Aram Harutyunyan

54.    Arman Sahakyan

55.    Ashot Arsenyan

56.    Avet Sargsyan

57.    Ishkan Zakaryan

58.    Aghvan Vardanyan