www.aravot.am inquired during a conversation with Larisa Alaverdyan, a member of the Vahe Avetyan initiative group, at what stage the process of establishing a public justice tribunal, about which the members of the initiative group had stated two days earlier, was. Ms. Alaverdyan replied, “We are starting discussions with the young representatives of the initiative group on holding accountable all the Harsnakar perpetrators. The mechanism has just not been used until now and we think that discussions will continue and we can establish a sort of forum along with all interested organizations. Our system is under threat, as it is and one must not allow it to become a system of persons united to carry out criminal functions.”
We asked L. Alaverdyan to assess the fact that the motion of the parties to involve R. Hayrapetyan in the trial as an accused was denied. Ms. Alaverdyan replied, “I want to make an assessment of the speedy process, which is worth not only legal, but also political assessment. Leaving the motions unanswered, that rush of the prosecutor’s office to send the case to court is characterized with things that clearly manifest violations of concrete articles of the law. Lo and behold, there is no fair trial. That makes one say that the government – in this case, the law-enforcement bodies and the prosecutor’s office – politicizes this issue.”
We inquired what the reason for such rush was, in L. Alaverdyan’s opinion. She replied, “In any case, the law-enforcers tend to neglect this terrible and horrible crime, to start earlier, to finish earlier. I think that it is done in order that there is a big interval between the verdict and the presidential election. The Armenian society has proved how tolerant and forgetful it is, in such cruel cases, leniency is more than necessary.”
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As for involving R. Hayrapetyan in the case, Ms. Alaverdyan said that not only did she agree, but she was also surprised why the motion had been denied.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
