Pashinyan recalls episode from Hayrapetyan's life
Armenian MPs today refrained from answering whether Republican MP Ruben Hayrapetyan would give up his seat in parliament or not.
"I shall speak to you after Hayrapetyan recalls his resignation," said Armen Rustamyan, an MP of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun.
Tigran Urikhanyan, Spokesman for the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), does not find it correct to interpret the actions of his colleagues, especially those that have nothing to do with his party.
Eduard Sharmazanov, Vice-Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly and Spokesman for the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), did not even want to comment on the interview conducted by Nouvelles d'Armenie with Ruben Hayrapetyan.
Earlier, Ruben Hayrapetyan announced his intention to recall the resignation and wait until the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of military doctor Vahe Avetyan was completed.
Hayrapetyan's statements do not instill faith in Nikol Pshinyan, a lawmaker from the Armenian National Congress (HAK).
"In one of his press conferences, Ruben Hayrapetyan expressed readiness to debate with HAK representatives but as you saw he refused to do it during a live broadcast. This is only a small episode from Hayrapetyan's biography. I do not think that the topic is so important as to be discussed," said Mr. Pashinyan.
While defending his Republican colleague, HHK MP Mkrtich Minasyan said Hayrapetyan always took decisions inspired by the principles of common sense.
"I have a high opinion about Hayrapetyan, his human qualities, dignity and if he has decided to wait till the end of the trial, it means he has reasons to behave so," he said.
Ruben Hayrapetyan is expected to resign over the public uproar over the death of Armenian army physician Vahe Avetyan at his Harsnakar restaurant.
On June 17, Vahe Avetyan, head of ENT (ear-nose-throat) department at the Defense Ministry's Yerevan garrison hospital, and his friends [also army doctors] were subjected to violent beating at Hayrapetyan's Harsnakar Restuarant. After a 12-day fight for his life, Avetyan died in hospital on June 29 without regaining consciousness. Following the tragedy, civil activists, NGOs and ordinary citizens organized protests demanding to evoke Ruben Hayrapetyan of his parliamentary mandate.
