ISOLATED FOR THE CHANGE OF POLITICAL VIEWS

A1+
[07:01 pm] 15 May, 2008

"Law-enforcement bodies are not charitable organizations, they
are power structures", noted Chairman of the "United Labour Party"
Gourgen Arsenian. Note that after April 12-13, 2004 the latter had
thanked the law-enforcement bodies for their observant and careful
operation. In reply to an A1+ question how he assesses the current
work of the police forces Arsenian stated that only the investigation
body is competent to answer the question.

On March 1 Gourgen Arsenian was abroad and he learnt about the
events in Armenia only from the foreign broadcasts of Public
Television. The picture confused him and he could not even imagine
what was really going on in his home-country. He could see only part
of the events-broken and looted stores, burnt cars…

According to Arsenian the whole Armenian Community was shocked. Only
back in Armenia could Arsenian realize what had really happened.

Today Arsenian finds it difficult to assess the work of either the
opposition or the law-enforcement bodies. Instead, he announces that
at the moment in isolation cells there are people who, though accused
of criminal offence, are persecuted for changing their political views.

Gourgen Arsenian mentions Sasoun Mikayelian’s case as an example. He
reminds about the Republican Party Assembly organized in 2007, when
Sasoun Mikayelian welcomed the fact of Serzh Sargssian’s nomination
to the post of the President. "He is now under arrest.

Doesn’t it mean he has changed his political views?", wonders Arsenian.

"I can’t believe Karapet Roubinian is a transgressor.

I know him well enough not to believe it. Isn’t it strange that such an
"Armenia-oriented" and "pro-Armenian" person as Michael Hayrapetian
is has to act from underground now?"

"The progress towards democracy that we had made at Parliamentary
Elections completely fell to the ground at the Presidential elections",
notices Arsenian regretfully.