RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN TYCOON LINKED WITH POLITICIAN’S BEATING
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 8 2006

The leader of a small pro-establishment party, which used to be
sponsored by Ara Abrahamian but is now at loggerheads with him,
claimed on Friday that the influential Russian-Armenian tycoon may
have been behind his alleged beating.

Harutiun Arakelian of the Ramkavar Azatakan Party of Armenia (HRAK)
said he was ambushed and beaten up by two unknown men outside his
office in central Yerevan on Thursday. The attackers fled the scene
after prompting an outcry from passers-by, according to him.

Police said they are investigating the allegations and could open a
criminal case.

The reported incident followed a bitter war of words between the HRAK
and Abrahamian, an Armenian-born Russian businessman who sponsored
the party’s unsuccessful participation in the last parliamentary
election. The row was in turn sparked by the HRAK’s decision last
month to pull out of Abrahamian’s Moscow-based World Congress of
Armenians. The Kremlin-connected tycoon publicly shrugged off the move,
claiming that he does not know who leads the party loyal to President
Robert Kocharian.

Asked by RFE/RL whether he believes Abrahamian ordered the alleged
assault, Arakelian said, "I don’t want to rule out anything. But I
don’t want to accuse anyone either." He argued that he lacks evidence
to directly implicate anyone.