THE OPPOSITION NEEDS THE DETAINEES
LRAGIR.AM
18:11:55 – 31/03/2009
Of course, the release of the people charged in the "case of 7" is
very important, but we should not forget about the other oppositional
detainees. On March 31, at the Urbat club, this idea was announced
by the member of the Armenian National Congress Hovhannes Igityan in
answer to the reporter’s question whether the opposition is ready to
start a dialogue with the government in case the oppositional detainees
of the "7 case" are released, as it has been announced before.
Hovhannes Igityan noted that the release of the detainees of the
"case of 7" is important but there are other 5 decades of people who
are under arrest and are sentenced to 3-7 years of imprisonment. "To
be sincere, we need those people", says Hovhannes Igityan, noting
that these people were struggling against electoral breaches, they
were members of the electoral headquarters of the opposition and
they have been jailed just because they struggled and did not let
the government rig the election.
According to Hovhannes Igityan, we should not forget those people
whose sentences are based on ridiculous testimonies. Hovhannes Igityan
stated that for example, Ashot Manukyan was deprived of freedom on
the ground of a policeman’s testimony who said to have seen stones in
everyone’s hands except Ashot Manukyan; consequently, he came to the
conclusion that Ashot Manukyan had thrown the stone in the direction
of the police. Hovhannes Igityan noted that when all of the political
prisoners are set free, the opposition will start a dialogue with
the government. At the same time, Hovhannes Igityan noted that now
there is dialogue to some extent too, when the opposition announces
something and the government answers it. Hovhannes Igityan pointed
out Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s promotion for Yerevan Mayor, saying that
the CoE welcomed this step and this was a plus for the government.