OPPOSITION TO ORGANIZE PROCESSION TO PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE

YEREVAN, APRIL 12. ARMINFO. Armenia’s political opposition is
organizing a procession to the presidential residence today, Secretary
of the opposition bloc “Justice” Victor Dallakian told a press
conference.

According to him, the people will exclusively act within the
Constitution. “In case of violence, all responsibility will rest with
the junta,” Dallakian said. He reported that the Parliament members
Vardan Mkrtichian and Tatul Manaserian were detained this morning,
while they were informing citizens of the procession. Mkrtichian is
now at the Shahumyan district police department, and Manaserian at the
Kanaker-Zeitun district police department. Dallakian stressed that the
country’s authorities are violating citizens’ constitutional rights to
rallies and processions. In fact, Yerevan and Armenia’s regional
centers are surrounded, the highways are blocked by armed police.
According to the opposition, over 250 people have been detained and
subjected to administrative punishment since March 28. Dallakian also
called a provocation the information spread by the RA Prosecutor
General’s Office that two Moscow residents were detained yesterday.
They were allegedly preparing a terrorist act during the opposition’s
rally, “by an opposition deputy’s order.” “The situation is extremely
strained, and the authorities are exacerbating it. All responsibility
for further developments rests with the authorities,” Dallakian
said. In his turn, the Parliament member of the “Justice” bloc
Shavarsh Kocharian added that “the illegal authorities’ actions are
nothing but terror against their own people.” According to him, the
authorities’ actions run counter not only to the Armenian legislation,
but also to the European Convention on Human Rights. “Even in 1937
people were not kidnapped in the street or taken hostage,” he
said. According to Sh. Kocharian, Armenia has found itself outside the
civilized world due to its own authorities. “We have a choice – either
we return to the Middle Ages or the country’s authorities must leave,”
he said. Sh. Kocharian added that even Azerbaijan is enthusiastic
about the Armenian authorities’ acting in Heydar Aliyev’s
spirit. Artak Zeinalyan, member of the Political Council of the
“Republic” party, adduced the example of Gayane Ashugyan, an active
opposition member, whose 16-year-old daughter was allegedly kidnapped.

Commenting on the Political Coalition’s refusal to take part in the
Parliament’s three-day session, Dallakian stated that “together with
the illegal President, the coalition is responsible for the ongoing
situation in the country.” It is the execution of the RA
Constitutional Court’s decision on amendments to the Law “On
referendum” that must be the basis for the opposition’s dialogue with
the authorities, particularly, with the coalition. However, the
opposition was offered ministerial posts, seats in the “nonexistent”
Security Council. The Coalition is a cover of the authorities’
illegal authorities. Dallakian also reported that the “Justice’ bloc
informed CE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer and PACE President
Peter Shider of the political situation in Armenia. Moreover, in its
the letter Armenia’s political opposition proposes holding a hearing
“Armenian authorities’ antinational policy and a domestic political
crisis.”