DAVIT SHAHNAZARIAN: ROBERT KOCHARIAN COMMITTED PREMEDITATED MURDER ON MARCH 1

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 20, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Despite the promises of the police to
ban the unapproved rally of the opposition, the rally did take place on
June 20 and quite a lot of people attended it. The area adjacent to the
Matenadaran was filled with people as far as the crossroads of Mashtots
Avenue and Isahakian Street, which, however, did not block the traffic.

The rally started two hours later than was scheduled (6 pm) due to the
absence of loud speakers. At the beginning, those present observed a
moment’s silence in memory of the March 1 vcitims, as well as honored
those co-thinkers who are either in prison or have gone underground.

The commander of the Shoushi special battalion Zhirayr Sefilian, who
was recently released, said in his speech that there is no ideological
political struggle in Armenia today, but there is resistance led by the
national movement. According to him, the movement against the return
of the liberated territories (the movement is led by Z. Sefilian)
has some differences with Levon Ter-Petrosian but it does not prevent
them from cooperating. "Our purpose is to get rid of this regime
rather to make Levon Ter-Petrosian president," Z. Sefilian declared.

"There is a state of emergency to all of us until there is even
one political prisoner in Armenia," member of the Armenian National
Movement (ANM) board Davit Shahnazarian stated. In his words, early
in the morning of March 1, the former president Robert Kocharian
"without warning attacked" the people in Liberty Square, and on the
evening of that day he "committed a premeditated murder, for which
he must be subjected to criminal responsibility". According to the
speaker, another 3 officials are to blame for the March 1 events
and must be punished: former minister of defence Mikael Harutyunian,
former head of the president’s security service Grigory Sarkisov and
the prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepian. "This rally which was approved
at the last moment proves that civil society does exist in Armenia,"
D. Shahnazarian said. In his words, the people has restored its right
to protest and will restore the other rights as well.

Speeches were made by the chairman of People’s Party of Armenia
Stepan Demirchian, the leader of "Republic" party Aram Sargsian,
chairwoman of the Social Democratic Hunchak Party Lyudmila Sargsian,
other leaders of the opposition. The leader of the National Movement
Levon Ter-Petrosian made a speech at the end of the rally, those
presented welcomed him by chating for a long time. "This is not an
ordinary postelection situation because the March 1 events took place,"
he pointed out. He said that the purpose of the rally is to show once
again to the country’s authorities and the international community
that the people does not recognize the results of the presidential
election. He stated that rallies will continue and informed those
present about the further plans of the National Movement.