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ABOLISHING FACT-FINDING GROUP, GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED ITS GUILT
ARMAN GALOYAN
LRAGIR.AM
12:44:19 - 15/06/2009
Interview with the member of the HAK commission on external relations,
member of the non-governmental commission to study March 1, Vladimir
Karapetyan
-As a member of the non-governmental commission to study March 1,
what would you say in connection with Serge Sargsyan's decree to
close the fact-finding group down?
-Since the fact-finding group was on the way to reveal the March 1
assassinations and presented the relevant report, the stopping of the
activities of the group means that the government, being against the
revelation of the March 1 crimes, aborted the only structure set up in
this connection. I think no one will doubt both in Armenia and abroad,
who broke the law on March 1 and who is guilty for the March 1 murders.
-Until the fact-finding group existed, many hoped that the revelation
of the March 1 crimes would be possible with its help. Today, when
it stopped existing, is it possible to reveal completely the March
1 issue?
-For a further development, the givers of the orders must be
revealed. I would like to recall that on March 4 of the last year,
the Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan promised to find those guilty and
punish them. One year and three months passed and no one is accused of
the murders. In other words the murderers are free, the responsibility
for which bears the current government.
-After the decree on abolishing the fact-finding group, Serge Sargsyan
made concrete steps in connection with the amnesty. Do you see any
link between this process and the stopping of the activities of the
fact-finding group?
-I don't want to comment on the process of the amnesty since none of
the political prisoners is guilty, so the best way would be to quash
the cases. And the abort of the activities of the fat-finding group
means only one thing: the government accepted its guilt, otherwise
there would be no reason to close down a body, which had the approval
of all the international structures.
-The annual report of the U.S. State Department dwells on Armenia with
rough definitions. Besides, the board of director of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation decided to stop financing the road constructional
projects in Armenia. What would you say in this connection?
-Several statements of the U.S. in the latest period are shameful for
Armenia. But we know that in this case, with all their sincerity they
present only a part of what we know. But this is enough to imagine the
quality of the government. For example, in a report published by the
"Freedom and Democratic Development" is said, "The government used
its levers for persecutions against the oppositional supporters and
for revenge. The Police used forced against the prisoners and the law
processes were not held on a good level". Since no official refuted
this statement or condemned the U.S. government, this means that this
statement is true. The government does not understand that with its
actions, it deprives the Armenian people from the U.S. assistance.
-What impact will the U.S. statement have on the election?
-This was a very important statement, as the statement of the CoE
delegation to observe the election was circulated much as a good
assessment for the election. The affirmation of the government that
the election corresponded to the "European measurement" vanishes
after the U.S. report.
It is notable that the statement is made before the refusal of the
administrative court of the HAK application to declare invalid the
election with ridiculous reasons. I think that this kind of refusal
will deepen the distrust towards the government.
ARMAN GALOYAN
LRAGIR.AM
12:44:19 - 15/06/2009
Interview with the member of the HAK commission on external relations,
member of the non-governmental commission to study March 1, Vladimir
Karapetyan
-As a member of the non-governmental commission to study March 1,
what would you say in connection with Serge Sargsyan's decree to
close the fact-finding group down?
-Since the fact-finding group was on the way to reveal the March 1
assassinations and presented the relevant report, the stopping of the
activities of the group means that the government, being against the
revelation of the March 1 crimes, aborted the only structure set up in
this connection. I think no one will doubt both in Armenia and abroad,
who broke the law on March 1 and who is guilty for the March 1 murders.
-Until the fact-finding group existed, many hoped that the revelation
of the March 1 crimes would be possible with its help. Today, when
it stopped existing, is it possible to reveal completely the March
1 issue?
-For a further development, the givers of the orders must be
revealed. I would like to recall that on March 4 of the last year,
the Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan promised to find those guilty and
punish them. One year and three months passed and no one is accused of
the murders. In other words the murderers are free, the responsibility
for which bears the current government.
-After the decree on abolishing the fact-finding group, Serge Sargsyan
made concrete steps in connection with the amnesty. Do you see any
link between this process and the stopping of the activities of the
fact-finding group?
-I don't want to comment on the process of the amnesty since none of
the political prisoners is guilty, so the best way would be to quash
the cases. And the abort of the activities of the fat-finding group
means only one thing: the government accepted its guilt, otherwise
there would be no reason to close down a body, which had the approval
of all the international structures.
-The annual report of the U.S. State Department dwells on Armenia with
rough definitions. Besides, the board of director of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation decided to stop financing the road constructional
projects in Armenia. What would you say in this connection?
-Several statements of the U.S. in the latest period are shameful for
Armenia. But we know that in this case, with all their sincerity they
present only a part of what we know. But this is enough to imagine the
quality of the government. For example, in a report published by the
"Freedom and Democratic Development" is said, "The government used
its levers for persecutions against the oppositional supporters and
for revenge. The Police used forced against the prisoners and the law
processes were not held on a good level". Since no official refuted
this statement or condemned the U.S. government, this means that this
statement is true. The government does not understand that with its
actions, it deprives the Armenian people from the U.S. assistance.
-What impact will the U.S. statement have on the election?
-This was a very important statement, as the statement of the CoE
delegation to observe the election was circulated much as a good
assessment for the election. The affirmation of the government that
the election corresponded to the "European measurement" vanishes
after the U.S. report.
It is notable that the statement is made before the refusal of the
administrative court of the HAK application to declare invalid the
election with ridiculous reasons. I think that this kind of refusal
will deepen the distrust towards the government.