TWO DOZENS OF ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY JOIN OPEN LETTER INITIATED BY ARSHAK SADOYAN ON ISSUE OF “ZHARANGUTIUN” PARTY OFFICE

Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Considering the policy fostered by
the authorities in the issue of the “Zharangutiun” (Heritage) party
this to be a flagrant infringement, on the part of the incumbent
presidency and its ruling clique, of fundamental civil liberties and
political freedoms, MP and chairman of the National Democrats’ Alliance
Arshak Sadoyan has launched an initiative whereby he has petitioned
all political parties in Armenia as well as institutions that are
interested in the establishment of democracy in the Republic. “On
March 4, 2006, a criminal break-in took place at the premises which
Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K. Hovannisian has
been leasing for more than 12 years. Without advance notice on legal
warrant, the lock of the Heritage Party headquarters’ main outer door
was smashed and replaced with another. As a result, the chairman of the
Heritage Party and the staff of its central office have been forcibly
denied the right of entry into their own place of work, which under
the existing contract is theirs until June of this year. The absolute
closure of access to Heritage’s official seal, documents, computers,
and means of telecommunication has brought the party’s activities to
a standstill, paralyzing the regular contact between its headquarters
and regional offices,” is said in the open letter. The authors of
the document reminds that Raffi Hovannisian and the executive board
of the Heritage Party have issued formal and telephonic petitions to
Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepian,
and Police Chief Haik Harutiunian regarding this unlawful act. “No
response, explanation, or comment has been received to date from the
law enforcement bodies. In fact, the constitutional order has once
again been violated in Armenia. A leading opposition party that has
stood out of late with its civic and public initiatives has effectively
and illegally been shut down,” is said in the letter. The authors of
the document consider this to be a flagrant infringement, on the part
of the incumbent presidency and its ruling clique, of fundamental
civil liberties and political freedoms. We demand that the Armenian
authorities reopen the Heritage Party headquarters immediately and
implement measures guaranteeing its normal, unfettered, and secure
operations. About two dozens of parties, unions and organizations have
already joined the open letter, including the Forum of Intellectuals
of Armenia, Social Democrate Hnchak, “Hanrapetutiun,” “National
Democratic Union,” “National Democrates’ Alliance,” “Nor Zhamankner”
(New Times), “Zhoghorvrdavarakan Hayrenik” (Democratic Fatherland)
parties. The letter is open for signatures.