TER-PETROSIAN CHALLENGES ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS

Interfax News Agency
June 27 2008
Russia

Armenian opposition leader and former President Levon Ter-Petrosian
is ready to begin a dialogue with the authorities, if they release all
political prisoners, Levon Zurabian, a representative of the People’s
Movement, another opposition outfit, told a Friday press conference
in Yerevan.

"If the authorities release all political prisoners before July 4
Ter-Petrosian will invite the authorities to start a dialogue and
will produce a program of talks. Ter-Petrosian’s proposals will deal
with ways to overcome the deep political crisis," he said.

"With this offer we wish to ease the current tension in society.

The time has come to overcome tension and it should be seized,"
Zurabian said.

Zurabian added that an opposition rally attended by Ter-Petrosian
will be held in Armenia’s second-biggest city of Gyumri on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the city administration of Yerevan has denied permission
to the opposition to hold a rally in the city center on July 4 and
offered instead the Razdan or Dinamo stadiums as venues.