By Levon Bagramian
“This one is an akhbar!” the special forces unit
policeman yelled out in Armenian before his buddies joined in on the beating.
The term, derived from “yeghbayr,” the Armenian word for “brother,” was a
particularly demeaning one, used by locals in Armenia in reference to
diasporans who had repatriated in the 1940s to Soviet Armenia, a country many
had never even been to before. They beat Vicken with batons, hit him on his knees and
legs, hit him on his head multiple times, kicked him on his back, punched him
on his face and ribs, tore up his clothes, while shouting profanities and derogatory
things about Vicken’s family and place of birth. “Էսի ձեր երկիրը չի… Սիկտիր էղեք
ստուց…” (“This is not your country, get the fuck out of here”). Again on his head, again on his knees and “Սիկտիր էղեք ստուց,”
get the fuck out of here. Vicken was pleading and screaming, “Տղաս, Տղաս ուր է,
Մհեր, Մհեր” (My son, where is my son? Mher, Mher).















































