Prison Is Not A Blemish For Vahan Hovhannesyan

PRISON IS NOT A BLEMISH FOR VAHAN HOVHANNESYAN

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[08:37 pm] 11 September, 2006

Aram Manoukyan, member of the Armenian National Movement (ANM), aroused
a question recently; why ANM doesn’t turn to Aghvan Hovsepyan, RA
Attorney General, who was engaged in the case hearings. "Everything
is in their hands, let them close the case," said Manoukyan. We
turned to Vahan Hovhannesyan, the former main suspect in the case
"Vahan Hovhannesyan – 31."

The latter answered, "Why should we turn to him?"

I think it was the best time in my and Armen Rustamyian’s lives. We
fought against the regime of those times with all possible means and
we don’t want to cross out that period from our lives.

Isn’t the term "change of political situation" (Vahan Hovhannesyan
was released on that ground) vulnerable in case some other political
situation is established?

If our country turned into the country of fascism, of course, we would
become vulnerable. But we would become vulnerable in either case. Thus,
I don’t see any reason for the reconsideration of the case.

But there are members of your party who are still in prison and are
even sentenced to life imprisonment.

There aren’t such people.

I mean Mnjoyan and Artsruny.

They aren’t members of Dashnaktsutyuan.

I see, but weren’t they sentenced for the crimes ascribed to
Dashnaksutyun?

In the case of "Dro" they tried not to mix black with white; there
were people who were not guilty and there were still others who were
trying to be involved in the crime. But their attempts failed and
they are free now.

Do you mean that the crime of those people who are sentenced to life
imprisonment was proved?

I can only say that it was all upon the court to decide who would be
sentenced and who would be set free.