“It would be desirable, if all tubers disappeared”

Said an ex-member of “March 1” committee, an ARF faction MP Artyush Shahbazyan

–       The activity related to the “March 1” case is seen and that new activity is kind of shading the work that the NA interim commission that has examined the events has done. As a member of the above-mentioned commission, how do you treat this refreshment?

–       In “March 1” case refreshment the RA President’s well-known assignments to revise the problems and discuss the issue once again to make the issue public were important. This was seemingly the main reason why that wave rose. My opinion is “wishful”, however I wish there had been real discoveries, real problems had been solved, but if it was not possible to solve those at the previous stage, real discoveries are possible to be made soon, I don’t know, I am not too excited about that. As for the work of the commission, certainly, that work could not fully satisfy, if there were undiscovered issues. There was the interim commission’s conclusion, however, since that conclusion could not give final answers, since the issue of ten dead had not been yet discovered, and as we had our reservations at the time, we thought that some assessments were not given, the reality was that the actions conducted had not been lawful and adequate; so that is my opinion.

–       Do you believe that the latest refreshment of the “March 1” case will lead to discovering those who are responsible for 10 dead, to discovering those who gave the order and those who shot?

–       Did the preliminary investigation organ, besides investigating the outcome, took into serious consideration the preceding events and tried to find responsible there? For example, at this moment it is more important for me to know, what was the main reason that led to that tragic outcome, not what happened (we know that and the results were tragic). To what extent was this initial state the object of investigation? I.e. on one hand how much were the actions of the opposition the reason for the clashes, would the opposition in its turn have been able to prevent the unpredictable results, if it had agreed and had continued its rally in the place suggested by the government? On the other hand, the government itself, how not flexible were the actions of the law-enforcement system and how much were the authorities abused, or was the government able to do something in order to prevent the clash? Has anyone reflected on this? I believe, the examination of this initial state would have been important for discovering the whole chain and maybe the circle of the people responsible would have been wider here.

–       After the latest refreshment of the “March 1” case or as a result of which will the circle of your mentioned responsible people change?

–       I don’t know, I don’t want to say anything concerning this, because I believe we will disrupt the logic by that. If the Special Investigation Agency has to go deep into those issues, it will be better if we in our turn do not influence that indirectly, do not try to trouble.

However, of course, it would be desirable, if all tubers disappeared and it would be clear for the people, at last, who to what extent is to blame, why did the killings take place and who were those who carried them out, who were the people that gave the order etc.?

It would be desirable if the issue of the prisoners had vanished by that time. I don’t know whether they will manage or not, but it seems that they have the approach that Armenia must not face an issue like this in the future, i.e. Armenia must never have an issue like that.

–       Do you mean the political prisoners?

–       I mean the prisoners.