LARISA ALAVERDIAN: "ARMENIA BECAME COUTRY LIVING IN CONDITIONS OF CONSTANT STATE OF EMERGENCY"

Noyan Tapan
March 21, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. As a result of the amendments made to
the Law on "Holding of meetings, rallies, marches and demonstrations",
Armenia became a state living under conditions of constant state of
emergency. This statement was made by Larisa Alaverdian, a member of
the Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction, during the parliamentary briefing
held on March 21.

According to her, a situational approach, in fact, was displayed on
the legislative initiative and the reasons for the created situation
were not taken into consideration.

According to Stepan Safarian, a member of the Zharangutiun faction,
a state of emergency was not declared in Armenia even during the
Karabakh war or after the October 27 events. "We do not think that
there was such a need after the March 1 events," she declared.

Faction member Zaruhi Postanjian mentioned that under the conditions
of the state of emergency, the rights of the Zharangutiun party
for receiving unbiased information, as well as for taking part in
peaceful demostrations and rallies have been violated. The party has
applied to the Administrative Court with a corresponding case and the
seven-day term for receiving an answer from it expires today. In her
words, irrespective of the circumstance that the term for the state
of emergency has ended, the Administrative Court can consider its
definition as illegal. Zaruhi Postanjian mentioned that mass media,
which have not operated as a consequence of the state of emergency,
can also apply to the Administrative Court and receive compensation
for the suffered losses. She attached importance to the lawsuit of such
cases from the point of view of their preventive siginificance as well.