ARMENIAN PROSECUTOR SAYS FOUR MPS SUPPLIED ARMS TO OPPOSITION PROTESTERS
Public TV
March 4 2008
Armenia
On the initiative of President Robert Kocharyan, the parliament
convened a special session an hour ago[1000 gmt]. The decision was
signed by Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan under Article 70 of the
Constitution. At thespecial session the parliament heard out a letter
from the prosecutor-general regarding permission to prosecute andarrest
MPs Hakob Vardan Hakobyan, Miasnik Malkhasyan, Sasun Mikaelyan and
Khachatur Sukiasyan.
[Aghvan Hovsepyan] The evidence received provides a basis according to
which with their public appeals, by incitingviolence, with appeals made
with their direct participation and with various types of assistance,
including gatheringand arming attackers, MPs Miasnik Malkhasyan,
Sasun Mikaelyan, Hakob Hakobyan and Khachatur Sukiasyan were among
thosewho actively participated in organizing mass riots.
This provides sufficient grounds to prosecute them and charge them with
organizing mass disorders aimed at seizingpower on 20 February-2 March
by violating the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. Those [mass
disorders] wereaccompanied by violence, arson attacks, destruction
of and damage to state, public and private property, armedresistance
to representatives of the authorities, by murders using firearms,
explosives and various other objectsadapted to be used as arms. The
aforesaid MPs carried out actions dangerous for the public, as
stipulated by Part 3 ofArticle 225 A and Part 1 of Article 300 of
the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.
There is sufficient material which substantiates the need to arrest
the mentioned MPs, including the fact that while being free, they can
hide from the entity which investigates the criminal case and hinder
the pre-trial investigation orthe consideration of the case in court.
This is also proved by the circumstance that MPs Sasun Mikaelyan and
Khachatur Sukiasyan have in fact already beenhiding from the entity
that carries out the criminal investigation, and search measures
taken to track them down inplaces where they may be hiding have not
produced any results so far.
As a result of these measures, an illegal gun of Czech origin was found
as a result of the search conducted in Sasun Mikaelyan’s apartment
on Arshakunyats Avenue on 3 March. Following operational measures,
it proved possible todetect MPs Miasnik Malkhasyan and Hakob Hakobyan
in the act of conducting illegal activities and to arrest them.
However, they still refuse to give any explanations or evidence.
Besides, the legal basis for arresting these MPs is also provided
by the character and extent of the danger of their actions, which
is proven by evidence acquired duringthe preliminary investigation,
including the results of examinations at the site of mass disorders,
confiscated materialevidence, evidence provided by participants in
mass disturbances, people who suffered from them, eye-witnesses,
detailedvideo materials made during the mass disturbances acquired
from numerous sources, which have been incorporated into the case as
evidence, as well as based on the decoding of video materials filmed
during the unauthorized rallies.
On the basis of this and Article 66 of the Constitution, I request
permission to arrest and prosecute MPs MiasnikMalkhasyan, Sasun
Mikaelyan, Hakob Hakobyan and Khachatur Sukiasyan.