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Harsnakar Owner Resigns From Parliament Following Avetyan Murder

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  • Harsnakar Owner Resigns From Parliament Following Avetyan Murder

    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
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