ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONIST SAYS AUTHORITIES PREVENTED DIALOGUE BY KEEPING HIM IN JAIL
11:51 ~U 15.10.13
Tigran Arakelyan, the amnestied Armenian opposition activist declared a
political prisoner by the leading media, has attributed his conviction
to the authorities' attempt to frustrate a possible dialogue with
the opposition Armenian National Congress.
"When I appeared in jail, the Armenian National Congress relieved
Armenia of the political prisoners' problem. And very serious issues
were being discussed there," he told the Armenian service of RFE/RL
(Azatutyun), without giving more details.
"I don't say they provoked the incident, but they used that incident
to prevent the dialogue because a very concrete issue had been put
forward that day, and it was impossible to find an answer there."
Asked why the prosecution was trying to prove persistently over this
period that Arakelyan was guilty of breaking a policeman's nose in
the clash that led to his conviction, the activist answered. "No
attempt was even being made to prove anything. They had simply taken
advantage of the corresponding provision of the Criminal Code, which
had to do with a policeman. And because that article [violence against
a representative of the authorities - Sec 2, Art 316 of Criminal Code]
envisaged 5-10 years' [in jail], they could keep me imprisoned."
Armenian News - Tert.am
11:51 ~U 15.10.13
Tigran Arakelyan, the amnestied Armenian opposition activist declared a
political prisoner by the leading media, has attributed his conviction
to the authorities' attempt to frustrate a possible dialogue with
the opposition Armenian National Congress.
"When I appeared in jail, the Armenian National Congress relieved
Armenia of the political prisoners' problem. And very serious issues
were being discussed there," he told the Armenian service of RFE/RL
(Azatutyun), without giving more details.
"I don't say they provoked the incident, but they used that incident
to prevent the dialogue because a very concrete issue had been put
forward that day, and it was impossible to find an answer there."
Asked why the prosecution was trying to prove persistently over this
period that Arakelyan was guilty of breaking a policeman's nose in
the clash that led to his conviction, the activist answered. "No
attempt was even being made to prove anything. They had simply taken
advantage of the corresponding provision of the Criminal Code, which
had to do with a policeman. And because that article [violence against
a representative of the authorities - Sec 2, Art 316 of Criminal Code]
envisaged 5-10 years' [in jail], they could keep me imprisoned."
Armenian News - Tert.am