“It is a famous incident, such a thing happened,” Hovhannes Ghazaryan, a former member of the Pan-Armenian National Movement (PANM) executive committee, assured during a conversation with www.aravot.am, in regard to the story told by Suren Sirunyan, according to which, Aram Manukyan, holding the office of the Deputy Minister of Culture, asked Vano Siradeghyan to vote in favor of his arrest or not to participate in the vote, in order not to be dismissed from the office. As we have informed, Aram Manukyan and some members of the PANM executive committee deny that.
In Hovhannes Ghazaryan’s words, “I was not there when he said that, but as a matter of fact, it happened. It was talked about and everyone in the executive committee knows about that. There was a secret vote, I don’t know whether he voted in favor or against, but he asked not to participate in that vote or to vote in favor.”
In response to our question why then the other members of the PANM executive committee denied this now, Mr. Ghazaryan said that he didn’t know what was going on and why they would deny, “Perhaps, it happened long ago, they may not remember it clearly.”
In regard to Vano Siradeghyan’s possible return, Hovhannes Ghazaryan thinks that “if the situation changes a bit – i.e. the legal system changes, they consider it from the legal point of view – perhaps, many things will change, probably Vano Siradeghyan’s return will become easier, which we all want.”
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In response to our question whether he agreed with Yerjanik Abgaryan that perhaps, the government created an impression before the presidential election, Mr. Ghazaryan said, “In order to know that, I have to be in the government. I know no such thing. I, frankly speaking, need Vano Siradeghyan’s return – I don’t care who organizes that. If I wanted to go against it, I will find a thousand of excuses, right? I think that Vano’s return is not in their interest. Otherwise, even if it is done by the government, what difference does it make? If you are interested and want Vano Siradeghyan’s return, what do you care who organizes that? In any case, one should be in the government to know who does that, how can you know? Whom do they scare by his return; will Vano become a minister, if he comes back? I don’t understand that mentality and that pile of words they say, because guess Vano comes back, will he become a minister again and drive oligarchs and underworld leaders out of Armenia? He will come as a writer. I think Yelk (way out) wrote so, yes, as a writer, an intellectual, they want Vano to come back as a man who is concerned about this country, not like they call Vano to come and scare.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
