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ATTORNEY-GENERAL URGED TO OPEN CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL OVER DEATH THREAT
http://www.armenianow.com/news/49232/attorney_general_khachik_asryan_sakunts_postanjyan
NEWS | 16.10.13 | 09:39
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office head Artur Sakunts on
Tuesday addressed a letter to Armenia's Prosecutor General Gevorg
Kostanyan, urging him to open a criminal case against a government
official who had made threats against an opposition MP through media.
In an interview with Yerkir.am last week Deputy Minister of Sports
and Youth Affairs Khachik Asryan, who is affiliated with the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, slammed Heritage Party lawmaker Zaruhi
Postanjian over her question to President Serzh Sargsyan at the Council
of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) session in Strasbourg on
October 2. Postanjian, in particular, accused Sargsyan of being a
gambler and "losing 70 million Euros in a European casino".
In his remarks Asryan, notorious for his extreme nationalist rhetoric,
called for "burning Postanjyan at the stake".
Asryan later explained that he used a figure of speech and did not
mean physical action against the lawmaker, but Postanjyan, concerned
over possible harm to her and her family members in the wake of what
she essentially took as a death threat, asked Police Chief Vladimir
Gasparyan to ensure their security. The police agreed to provide the
opposition MP with armed bodyguards but stopped short of launching
criminal proceedings against the official.
In his letter Sakunts asked the prosecutor general to open the
case against Asryan under Article 137 of the Criminal Code Armenia
(making threats to kill, inflict heavy damage to health, or to
destroy property).
Meanwhile, the Heritage Party issued a statement on Tuesday, calling
for a halt to the "persecution" of Postanjyan by the Armenian
authorities.
Earlier, Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan threatened to oust
Postanjyan from the Armenian delegation to the PACE over her
controversial question in Strasbourg.
From: A. Papazian
http://www.armenianow.com/news/49232/attorney_general_khachik_asryan_sakunts_postanjyan
NEWS | 16.10.13 | 09:39
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office head Artur Sakunts on
Tuesday addressed a letter to Armenia's Prosecutor General Gevorg
Kostanyan, urging him to open a criminal case against a government
official who had made threats against an opposition MP through media.
In an interview with Yerkir.am last week Deputy Minister of Sports
and Youth Affairs Khachik Asryan, who is affiliated with the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, slammed Heritage Party lawmaker Zaruhi
Postanjian over her question to President Serzh Sargsyan at the Council
of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) session in Strasbourg on
October 2. Postanjian, in particular, accused Sargsyan of being a
gambler and "losing 70 million Euros in a European casino".
In his remarks Asryan, notorious for his extreme nationalist rhetoric,
called for "burning Postanjyan at the stake".
Asryan later explained that he used a figure of speech and did not
mean physical action against the lawmaker, but Postanjyan, concerned
over possible harm to her and her family members in the wake of what
she essentially took as a death threat, asked Police Chief Vladimir
Gasparyan to ensure their security. The police agreed to provide the
opposition MP with armed bodyguards but stopped short of launching
criminal proceedings against the official.
In his letter Sakunts asked the prosecutor general to open the
case against Asryan under Article 137 of the Criminal Code Armenia
(making threats to kill, inflict heavy damage to health, or to
destroy property).
Meanwhile, the Heritage Party issued a statement on Tuesday, calling
for a halt to the "persecution" of Postanjyan by the Armenian
authorities.
Earlier, Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan threatened to oust
Postanjyan from the Armenian delegation to the PACE over her
controversial question in Strasbourg.
From: A. Papazian