DEPUTY ARMEN MARTIROSIAN: ALL OF US WERE DEFEATED BY ADOPTION OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE RESOLUTION N 1643

Noyan Tapan

Jan 29, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. "By adoption of PACE Resolution
N 1643 neither Armenia’s authorities nor opposition appeared in the
status of a winner: all of us have been defeated, as our country’s
name is repeatedly voiced negatively." Armen Martirosian, the head
of the RA NA Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction, stated at the January
29 press conference. According to him, though the above mentioned
resolution lacks the word "political prisoner," Armenia has already
got a negative reputation in Europe and all over the world. In order
to improve the situation, according to A. Martirosian, the authorities
as an institution holding in their hands the government levers should
be able to be higher than their personal interests even if by one
degree and make real reforms. According to the deputy, political
sphere’s reforms are releasing the political prisoners as soon as
possible and starting a dialogue with the opposition.

A. Martirosian added that only an irresponsible politician can assert
that there are no political prisoners in Armenia. According to him,
even if the European structures do not admit it, the Armenian society
is convinced that the activists arrested on the March 1 case, as
well as Zhamanak newspaper’s editor Arman Babajanian are political
prisoners. "Though this time Resolution N 1643 does not contain
the word "political prisoner," many PACE deputies in their speeches
stressed that that phenomenon exists in Armenia.

The Council of Europe just wishes to exert a pressure upon Armenia
trying to give us a possibility to change," the Zharangutiun
representative said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress