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TER-PETROSSIAN WILL NOT ATTEND VANADZOR RALLY

Politics

Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrossian will not participate in a July 18 rally organised by the Helsinki Citizens Assembly-Vanadzor Office (HCAV).

“The Vanadzor rally is not organised by the Popular Movement but if we get an invitation, we shall probably attend it,” said member of the Popular Movement Levon Zurabian.

Zurabian is confident that the opposition’s next rally due in Yerevan on August 1 will be large-scale. At present, they are concerned lest the human right to free transportation is violated.

It is due to mention that all citizens who are banned entry to the capital and participation in opposition rallies can restore their constitutional right in court.

The authorities carry out a delicate policy. They threaten the most vulnerable people who lack legal knowledge. They believe those people will not struggle for their violated rights. Nevertheless, Zurabian says there are people who are ready to struggle against the lawbreakers.

Yesterday the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg expressed his concern that the head of the Special Investigation Service Andranik Mirzoyan had assigned the prosecutor of Vayots Dzor to investigate the heads of Levon Ter-Petrossian’s pre-election offices and his adherent. A1+ asked Levon Zurabian to comment on Hammarberg’s statement.

“The document really gives rise to many concerns. It is typical of a totalitarian country. Neither Shedrin nor Kafka could have thought of such a document. The document unmasks the totalitarian regime and the lowest level of moral and legal consciousness in our country.”

As of Hammarberg’s observation that his meetings are not fully covered by the Armenian media, Zurabian noted that the authorities got used to distorting facts. “Obviously, it is the first time someone has given a serious assessment to this falsehood. In reality, we take the authorities false statements naturally as we deal with liars and adulterators.”

Yesterday Mr. Hammarberg said that corresponding experts will be invited to the NA ad hoc Committee investigating the March 1 events only in case they make sure of the Committee’s independence and impartiality.

In this regard Zurabian said: “The Committee could be reliable if it was formed on the principles proposed by the Popular Movement-if the authorities and the opposition were given equal footing in the Committee. Generally, respectable organizations provide experts only in case they make certain of a committee’s independence. I am more than convinced that in case the committee was formed on our advice international experts would have arrived in Armenia.”