ARF ARTSAKH CENTRAL COMMITTEE DEMANDS THAT HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS
HAVING BEATEN MP CANDIDATE BE DISMISSED

STEPENAKERT, JUNE 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The ARF Dashnaktsutiun Artsakh
Central Committee demanded that NKR President dismiss the high-ranking
officials having beaten Pavel Manukian. In the June 22 press release
the the ARF Dashnaktsutiun Artsakh Central Committee also applies to
the President, military prosecutor and state bodies of the Republic of
Armenia with a demand about unbiassed investigation. To recap,
yesterday well-known freedom-fighter Pavel Manukian, ARFD member
nominated by the ARF Movement-88 bloc’s proportional list in the June
19 parliamentary elections, was taken to Stepanakert military
hospital. Manukian was beaten and had injuries dangerous for his
life. Regaining consciousness, the latter declared that he was beaten
in the building of NKR Ministry of Defence, in the Minister’s
cabinet. “He was confidently emphasizing that the first blows were
struck to him by NKR Defence Minister Seyran Ohanian and Deputy
Minister Samvel Karapetian and after he fell down the other generals
who were in the cabinet continued beating him by their feet.” Late in
the evening Grisha Hayrapetian, representative of the ARFD Artsakh
Central Committee, and Vitaly Balasanian, Chairman of ARF
Dashnaktsutiun – Movement-88 pre-election bloc, met with NKR President
Arkadi Ghukasian. The President of the republic declared to the party
representatives that the incident will be investigated by
law-enforcement bodies and those guilty will be punished in an order
fixed by the law. But, according to the report of ARFD Artsakh Central
Committee, the day after the incident some sources spread information
that Pavel Manukian, allegedly, declared to the investigators that he
got the traumas when falling down from a tree. Meanwhile, according to
information provided by Manukian’s wife, Marina Manukian, no
investigation measures were taken with Pavel Manukian’s participation,
even no forensic expertise was conducted. Pavel Manukian continues to
insist that he was beaten in the Defence Minister’s cabinet. The ARFD
Artsakh Central Committee demanded that Pavel Manukian be moved to a
hospital not subordinate to NKR Defence Ministry but the hospital’s
management refused them motivating this by the fact that the patient
not only mustn’t be moved within at least 4 days, but even sitting or
moving is contraindicated to him. Meanwhile, Stepanakert military
hospital is remaining under a strict control. By the order of Samvel
Gevorgian, head of NKR Defence Army’s Medical Service, a group of
journalists wasn’t allowed to see Pavel Manukian at hospital in the
afternoon of June 22.