PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
Yerevan 0033, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 58.08.77, 52.22.38
Fax: (+374 – 10) 54.38.97
Email: info@heritage.am; office@heritage.am
Website:

June 9, 2006

Heritage Case Delayed for Three Days

Yerevan–The hearing of Heritage Party Chairman Raffi K. Hovannisian’s case
against defendants Paronian Theater and the government’s Department on State
Property Management (DSPM) reconvened today at the Court of First Instance
of Yerevan’s Central and Nork-Marash communities, Judge Edward Avetisian
presiding. The previous hearing, held on June 1, was postponed a second time
for one week because Aram Ghlechian, the legal representative of defendant
DSPM, had requested a continuance in order to study further the details of
the claims made by Hovannisian.

Opening today’s hearing of the case, Judge Avetisian again presented the
causes of action of the lawsuit, citing that it includes the plaintiff’s
claims against both defendants to remove the unlawful encroachment upon the
right of access, control, and usage of his property, as well as those which
derive under the law by consequence of defendants’ nullification of
contracts. Thereupon, following a brief recess, the judge urged the parties
to settle the matter out of court and so ordered a three-day continuance for
that purpose.

In compliance with the Court’s April 14 injunction against the defendant
theater’s restriction of access to Hovannisian’s premises and property,
bailiffs from the Service for Mandatory Execution of Judicial Acts (SMEJA)
of the Ministry of Justice had reopened the Heritage Party headquarters on
May 29. During the inspection of the latter it became clear that on March 8,
exactly four days after the main office was put under lock and further
access to it was blocked, someone had gained entry to the main computer
where all information regarding the party, its membership and activities is
maintained. With a call for an official investigation sent to the chief of
police and attorney general regarding this second break-in at his
headquarters, Hovannisian demanded that this incident be investigated
thoroughly and its architects be brought to justice.

This, however, did not complete the saga. The SMEJA officials returned to
Heritage’s office the same day, on May 29, commanding that the staff vacate
the premises in order that the outside door, which had been unlocked by the
very same officials just six hours before and in compliance with the ruling
of the Court, be resealed. And this unlawful demand became a reality the
next day, on May 30, when SMEJA bailiffs forcibly vacated the premises,
evicting Hovannisian and his staff from the headquarters. All office doors,
external and internal, were then sealed.

Hovannisian then filed a new suit against the SMEJA bailiffs and their
supervisors “of all kinds,” demanding the immediate removal of their seals
from his office doors and urging their criminal prosecution by the attorney
general. The Heritage Party chairman also sent a letter to Armenia’s
ombudsman, asking for the latter’s assistance in the restoration of his
violated civil rights.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land. Its
central headquarters are located at 7 Vazgen Sargsian Street, Yerevan 0010,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 580.877, fax at (374-10)
543.897, and email at info@heritage.am