ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DOES NOT SEE THE NECESSITY TO PROLONG OR TO REDUCE THE TERM OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN YEREVAN
Mediamax
March 5, 2008
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated in
Yerevan today that the introduction of a state of emergency in Yerevan
on March 1 "was a necessity".
Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan, the
President stated that "otherwise the number of victims and the injured
would be much more and the consequences of the unrest – much heavier".
The Armenian President reminded that the state of emergency was
announced on March 1 for the term of 20 days and stated that "today I
do not see the necessity to prolong or reduce the given term". Robert
Kocharian stressed that he will not abolish the state of emergency,
not being completely sure that all the people, who committed illegal
actions, are detained and will not take efforts to again destabilize
the situation.
Robert Kocharian stated that the law-enforcement bodies have many
materials, including video materials, and "the picture of March
1 events will be restored minute by minute". According to him, the
volume of the initiated criminal case is "huge", and the investigating
group will have to "work day and night". "According to my order,
the representatives of law-enforcement bodies will inform on the
process of investigation every day", Robert Kocharian stated.
Armenian President stated that the people included in the criminal
case may be divided into three conventional groups: organizers,
members of groups, who realized attacks on policemen, as well as
participants of the rally, who participated in the looting.
Robert Kocharian noted that the composition of the organizers of the
illegal rally at the square in front of the City Administration is
also not homogeneous. So, President stated, "David Shahnazarian,
understanding that the crowd is beginning to go out of control,
tried to bring the people to sense and to order". "However, later
Nikol Pashinian appeared, who acted extremely aggressively and
directly instigated the crowd to illegal actions", the Armenian
President stated.
"It is obvious that the level of guilt of the organizers, instigators
of unrest and the ordinary participants is different, and the attitude
of the law-enforcement bodies to them will be different. However, it
will be the greatest unfairness if in the first place the organizers
and the instigators of the unrest are not found and brought to
responsibility", the Armenian President stated.
"It is natural that special attitude will be use for the people, who
used arms and explosives against policemen", Robert Kocharian stated.