DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENCE MANVEL GRIGORIAN SENDS IN HIS RESIGNATION AT SUGGESTION OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT
Noyan Tapan
April 4, 2008
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian president Robert
Kocharian follows the investigation of the criminal cases opened in
connection with March 1 events: he receives reports on these cases
every week. During the April 4 meeting with reporters, the president
said that about 20 cases related to March 1 events and illegal keeping
of weapons have already been sent to court.
"It is already obvious today that the disorder had an organized
character," R. Kocharian said, adding that the chronology of March
1 events has been restored in great detail, and "those who try
to speculate on the subject of political prisoners will feel deep
disappointment during the court sittings when they become acquainted
with the materials gathered by the investigation group". In his words,
these people will see "whom they tried to defend and perpetrators of
what kind of crimes they tried to back."
As for relieving the deputy minister of defence Lieutenant General
Manvel Grigorian of his post, R. Kocharian said that at his suggestion
M. Grigorian has sent in his resignation.
To recap, the hero of the Artsakh liberation war Manvel Grigorian
is also the chairman of the union of "Yerkrapah" (land defender)
volunteers.
Although the general did not officially declare his support for the
first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian, many of the members of
"Yerkrapah" union are followers of Ter-Petrosian and activists of
"Republic" party supporting him. It is also noteworthy that among
the MPs who signed the statement about supporting L. Ter-Petrosian
was member of the National Assembly "Republican Party of Armenia"
(RPA) faction Hrant Grigorian, nephew of the general.