Aravot.am asked member of RPA faction, Hovhannes Sahakyan, to comment on the statement of representative of Armenia’s National Platform of the EaP Civil Society Forum, in which they express their concern about the new wave of political persecutions starting in Armenia since 2013 and continued in 2014. The statement refers to illegalities of the police against the demonstrators, Shant Harutyunyan, freedom fighter Volodia Avetisyan and many others, against whom criminal cases are filed, they consider them political persecution. The authorities are requested to sober, to realize the critical moment for the country, and do not disrupt the authority of the state and future vision. As said by Hovhannes Sahakyan, non- professionalism of the statement is on low level. “There is no reason, nor need, moreover, we see that today’s ruling power is pretty far away from such moves, and if, today, we have an established civil society, the platform representatives should be honest and note that any word or move of civil society will not remain without response. And if look two or three years back and recall the actions and measures that were implemented as a result of active actions of civil society activists, we will understand that this statement has no connection with reality. We understand that now it is the period of time when the representatives of this platform should make steps, release a statement, however, I do not think that they should do it at any cost, or by passing over everything, because we are building a state and a country, and what we have achieved on the way, all valuable that is for all of us, we should not crush, or by passing over it, release information.” To the observation of how you will interpret the abovementioned political persecutions, Hovhannes Sahakyan said, “Both, Shant Harutyunyan’s and others’ actions have occurred before the eyes of all of us, we all have witnessed it and if there is any illegal act, it can be protested, appealed to higher instances. Anyway, I do not think that it’s correct, or has any connection with reality.”
Eva HAKOBYAN
