DISORDER BEING LED FROM ONE CENTER
lilit poghosyan
Hayots Ashkhar
March 05, 2008
Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan convened a press conference
yesterday to sum up the consequences of the mass disorder provoked
in the center of Yerevan on March 1.
Estimating this unprecedented act of vandalism as not proper
to our people, as a "terrible phenomenon, horrible incident" the
Prosecutor General recorded: " Legally what happened on March 1-2 was
a grave crime. And criminal cases have already been instituted. By
my instruction the cases are united in one procedure. Inspectors of
special investigation service are realizing the inquest, investigators
from all the departments are involved: around 50 inspectors from
the National Security, the Police, Tax Agency, as well as Defense
Ministry."
According to the latest data, 8 people have died (from which one
is a police officer) due to the mass disorder. 48 citizens and 117
policemen have been injured. Their life is out of danger. 1055 iron
sticks, cudgels and special arms to cause bodily injuries, guns,
150 liter fuel and 62 bottles with fuses, prepared to start fires,
have been found in the scene of action.
The people who live in the apartments where the shops were ruined and
robbed by the slaughterers were located, as A. Hovsepyan stated, were
terrified, because these houses were built in 30-ies, 40-ies and they
have wooden ceilings and in case of fire it would have been impossible
to put it out, as in case of the building of the Ministry of Justice.
"The inquest is in process. All the evidences, all the statements
and facts are being thoroughly checked." The Prosecutor stated and
also said that the volume of the criminal cases linked with the mass
disorder was unprecedented and requires: " a large-scale investigation
activity, examination, numerous questionings, confrontations and only
due to all this can we draw final conclusions. "
Whereas yesterday, during the discussion of the petition submitted by
the Prosecutor General regarding the arrest of the 4 MPs, certain MPs
demanded from the Prosecutor to give concrete details regarding the
illegal acts. By the way two of the before mentioned MPs, Kh. Sukiasyan
and Sasun Mikaelyan are hidden.
According to A. Hovsepyan the latter: "Managed to hide very swiftly
and successfully and the searching activities haven’t shown any good
results by now.
Regarding the rumors about the "missing ones" A. Hovsepyan said:
" It is a fabrication. The police haven’t received any application
about the "missing ones". Those who make similar announcements must
first of all ask me."
The Prosecutor General partially opened the brackets, saying that
the mass disorder was being led by one center. It is obvious. We
have many testimonies, according to which those who were delivering
speeches said one thing and did quite another thing in a hidden
manner. They instructed them to be armed with cudgels, iron sticks,
and guns. Why? Why were they armed with special things to cause bodily
injuries? To whom and for what?"
Moreover there are testimonies that many of them came for robbery:
"They were invited there to rob the shops. They have even promised them
different posts. We have even testimonies that their leaders said they
are going to take power at any price. And this price we already saw."
A. Hovsepyan said it was due to the controlled, clever activity of
the law enforcement agencies that they managed to avert: " fires
through the whole city, uncontrolled activities in the streets,
which would have created favorable conditions for the organizers."
As regards the activity of the law enforcement bodies, that caused
death the Prosecutor said: "it was due to the extreme necessity for
protection" in such cases the person is free from criminal liability.
We must add that, according to the decree of the Prosecutor General
a special group of prosecutors has been formed, which is authorized
to directly control and realize judicial leadership on the activity
of the inquest bodies. The members of this group will appear as
prosecutors defending the charge.
From: Baghdasarian