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HARSNAKAR OWNER RESIGNS FROM PARLIAMENT FOLLOWING AVETYAN MURDER
Armenian Weekly
July 3, 2012
YEREVAN (A.W.)-Ruben Hayrapetyan resigned from Parliament on July 3,
following a meeting with President Serge Sarkisian. Hayrapetyan is the
owner of Harsnakar restaurant in Avan, Armenia, where three military
doctors were beaten on June 17. One of the doctors, Major Vahe Avetyan,
died on June 29 from severe head trauma. A public outcry, and petitions
demanding his resignation ensued.
"I can't forgive myself and I don't know how to ask for forgiveness,"
Hayrapetyan said in his resignation letter. "I would have given
anything to be there on that ominous night, to grab the fists that
hit those young men, and to stop this tragedy that stole a life,
destroyed families, and left children orphaned. But I cannot. Vahe
is no longer with us; and I have to live with that; and I have to
look in the eyes of his family members. I don't know how," he added.
Hayrapetyan noted that although those responsible will be held
accountable by law, the issue is more complicated than that. "Now a lot
of people are blaming me, even for things that I'm not responsible for
or that are made up. They are probably right. But I'm first to blame
myself. I hereby announce that I feel morally obliged to relinquish
my parliamentary mandate. I ask for forgiveness from my voters,
because I will not be able to realize their expectations, but I am
certain that I am obliged to take this step," said Hayrapetyan.
"I hope one day Vahe's family will forgive me; I will do everything
to that end regardless."
Harsnakar is a grand-scale restaurant and function hall owned by
Hayrapetyan, also known as "Nemets Rubo," a known oligarch. It is where
the wealthy hold extravagant wedding parties. Hayrapetyan owns numerous
business ventures, among them the Bjni mineral water company (which
bottles Bjni and Noy), a hotel also called Harsnakar on Lake Sevan,
and a bank. He is also the president of Armenia's Football Federation.
Although Hayrapedyan maintains he had no connection with the beating,
his personal bodyguard, Garik Markaryan, allegedly inflicted the
fatal injuries on Avetyan.
Exactly what happened on June 17 between the quarrelers remains
unclear. Words were exchanged at two separate times between the
servicemen and staff over an apparent dress code violation, the second
conflict occurring after Avetyan returned to the premises, having gone
home to change out of his athletic clothing. Just why Markaryan felt
obligated to severely beat Avetyan has yet to be revealed. Accounts
from eyewitnesses have yet to come to light, probably due to fear of
retaliation against them.
From: A. Papazian
Armenian Weekly
July 3, 2012
YEREVAN (A.W.)-Ruben Hayrapetyan resigned from Parliament on July 3,
following a meeting with President Serge Sarkisian. Hayrapetyan is the
owner of Harsnakar restaurant in Avan, Armenia, where three military
doctors were beaten on June 17. One of the doctors, Major Vahe Avetyan,
died on June 29 from severe head trauma. A public outcry, and petitions
demanding his resignation ensued.
"I can't forgive myself and I don't know how to ask for forgiveness,"
Hayrapetyan said in his resignation letter. "I would have given
anything to be there on that ominous night, to grab the fists that
hit those young men, and to stop this tragedy that stole a life,
destroyed families, and left children orphaned. But I cannot. Vahe
is no longer with us; and I have to live with that; and I have to
look in the eyes of his family members. I don't know how," he added.
Hayrapetyan noted that although those responsible will be held
accountable by law, the issue is more complicated than that. "Now a lot
of people are blaming me, even for things that I'm not responsible for
or that are made up. They are probably right. But I'm first to blame
myself. I hereby announce that I feel morally obliged to relinquish
my parliamentary mandate. I ask for forgiveness from my voters,
because I will not be able to realize their expectations, but I am
certain that I am obliged to take this step," said Hayrapetyan.
"I hope one day Vahe's family will forgive me; I will do everything
to that end regardless."
Harsnakar is a grand-scale restaurant and function hall owned by
Hayrapetyan, also known as "Nemets Rubo," a known oligarch. It is where
the wealthy hold extravagant wedding parties. Hayrapetyan owns numerous
business ventures, among them the Bjni mineral water company (which
bottles Bjni and Noy), a hotel also called Harsnakar on Lake Sevan,
and a bank. He is also the president of Armenia's Football Federation.
Although Hayrapedyan maintains he had no connection with the beating,
his personal bodyguard, Garik Markaryan, allegedly inflicted the
fatal injuries on Avetyan.
Exactly what happened on June 17 between the quarrelers remains
unclear. Words were exchanged at two separate times between the
servicemen and staff over an apparent dress code violation, the second
conflict occurring after Avetyan returned to the premises, having gone
home to change out of his athletic clothing. Just why Markaryan felt
obligated to severely beat Avetyan has yet to be revealed. Accounts
from eyewitnesses have yet to come to light, probably due to fear of
retaliation against them.
From: A. Papazian