IRANOLOGIST SEVAK SARUKHANIAN: CONFLICTS IN IRAN WILL END IN A WEEK

Noyan Tapan
June 17, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The conflicts that started in Iran after
the presidential elections are likely to finish in a week, and the home
political struggle is likely move from the street to another, more
invisible plane. Iranologist Sevak Sarukhanian, the Director of the
Noravank Fund, made such a prediction at the June 17 press conference.

Meanwhile he said that Iranian demonstrants have radical moods,
and no one is able to calm them down. According to S. Sarukhanian,
the candidate losing the elections, Mir Hoseyn Musavi, follows the
constitutional way of struggle and wants to challenge the elections
results, while those gathered in the street are for revolutionary
developments.

According to S. Sarukhanian, though he is not able to prove that
the Iranian presidential elections were rigged, he has received
some information from his friends living there, which cast doubt
on the fairness of the electoral process. For instance, at one of
two polling stations being very close to each other 70% voters voted
for the current Presisent and 30% for M. Hoseyn Mosavi, and just the
opposite picture was recorded at the other one.

Besides, according to S. Sarukhanian, a 140% turnout was recorded at
some polling stations.

He mentioned that the Iranian Armenian community is inert
in the post-electoral period and does not take part in the
conflicts. According to S. Sarukhanian, the Armenians have closed
the cultural centers and shops and do not go out.