Hovik Abrahamyan: “We don’t have political prisoners”
NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan will meet with the PACE Co-Rapporteurs on Armenia arriving in Yerevan in 10 days.
According to the NA Chairman, he is not obliged to give explanations regarding any issue, including the issue regarding the release of political prisoners. In general, Hovik Abrahamyan believes "there are no political prisoners in Armenia."
"I know where that evaluation is coming from. I have said several times and I will say it again-we will not sentence anyone to prison for their political views."
As far as Armenia's obligations in front of the Council of Europe are concerned, Hovik Abrahamyan said Armenia is fulfilling its commitments. "They are not obligating the Armenian authorities. They have no right to demand anything from us."
Touching upon the HAK's 15-point requisition presented during the last rally, the NA Chairman said:
"We will discuss it. That can't be a demand. It is their viewpoint. The opposition and the authorities have different opinions and it is illegal to impose the dismissal of certain officials. If they are thinking about the future of our country and the people, let's discuss, implement and move forward. If they want to come to power, let them participate in the 2012 parliamentary and the 2013 presidential elections. They are calling on holding special elections, but we are against that."
The NA Chairman said he wasn't aware that "Heritage" MPs had been beaten near the government building today. "I will try to find out. "Heritage" faction head Stepan Safaryan told me that the party would not be taking part in the NA four-day session and that is their right."
Hovik Abrahamyan says he has no serious expectations from the Serzh Sargsyan-Ilham Aliyev meeting in Sochi on March 5, but does expect progress.
As far as Azerbaijan's ongoing belligerent declarations are concerned, the NA Chairman said: "That is Azerbaijan's weapon and it is trying to terrorize Armenia with that, but the head of state has clearly said that though Armenia doesn't want war, it is ready to defend the land."
Hovik Abrahamyan stated that Armenia has clearly stated its position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and it remains unchanged.
