NO ONE ORDERED TO OPEN FIRE?

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“The March 1 events were neither expected nor anticipated,” RoA President's Adviser Garnik Isagulian said to A1+. He thinks that the responsibility of the events lies with everyone, including him “Mass media, opposition and authorities were to realise the seriousness of the moment and foresee further developments and their outcome in the country. Being an Armenian parliamentarian I should have foreseen such a turn of events and expect the worst,” he adds.

No instance had made a decision to disperse the peaceful demonstrators. We feared lest the opposition should take drastic steps and use arms before the Constitutional Court made a final decision. We possessed such information.

I spoke to the President about the March events. I also kept in touch with opposition representatives. Our main concern was to avoid provocations. Before the CC made a decision the authorities let people crowding at the square as they saw no menace,” says Garnik Isagulian.

Asked who had ordered to open fire at people, Isagulian said, “The Law on Police stipulates that policemen can fire a shot whenever necessity requires. Thus, each policeman acted spontaneously guided by the Law. It is within a policeman’s powers,” said the President's Adviser laying the main responsibility on the police.

Anyway, Isagulian is sure that shooting wasn’t planned beforehand.

In reply to our question who had reported President Kocharian on the situation and on what grounds he declared a state of emergency, Isagulian said, “I think nobody doubts the importance of the emergency state. When a president learns that the situation in the country is getting out of control and cars are being burnt to ashes, he has nothing else to do than to recover the situation.”