Hovhannes Igitian: Problems of political prisoners, holding
rallies, media freedom, and disclosure of March 1 events remain
unsolved
31-03-2009 16:55:00 | Armenia | Politics
YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The report of David
Haroutiunian, the head of the Armenian delegation in PACE, on
restating Articles 225 and 300, RA Criminal Code at the PACE
Monitoring Committee March 30 meeting was perceived as progress
by the Europeans. Hovhannes Igitian, a Board member of the
Armenian National Movement (ANM) party, expressed such an
opinion at the March 31 press conference saying that the
European officials formed an idea about that imaginary progress
thanks to RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian, NA Speaker
Hovik Abrahamian, and D. Haroutiunian. "When PACE Co-rapporteurs
came to A. Hovsepian, he complained of the above mentioned
articles and said that they do not give a possibility to bring
normal accusations," H. Igitian said. After that, according to
him, the Co-rapporteurs visited H. Abrahamian, as a result of
which NA changed the Criminal Code articles with the help of D.
Haroutiunian.
H. Igitian said that the answer to the question of whether
progress was recorded in the direction of establishment of
democracy in Armenia after all should be given by Armenian
society. And society, as the ANM representative emphasized it,
knows very well what took place on March 1, who killed the ten
citizens, by whose order, who were in former RA President Robert
Kocharian's office on February 29, 2008, during discussions on
dispersing the peaceful demonstrants. However, he did not render
it more clear, who were in R. Kocharian's office.
H. Igitian stated that the four main problems existing in
Armenia remain unsolved: the political prisoners have not been
released, rallies are not permitted, media are not free, those
guilty of the March 1 events have not been officiall disclosed
and punished.