Armenia’s Opposition Bloc to Celebrate New Year on the Street

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) held its last rally of the year today in front of the RA General Prosecutor’s office in Yerevan today. In the past three years, this was the 135th protest, not including the 7 protests held in the last month in Armenia’s regions (“marzes”).

Speaking to journalists, Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) Chair Aram Manukyan said they are not “summing up the year,” the year continues, the fight continues and the opposition’s demands remain the same.

“There is a change of day or month in the calendar, but, for us, the problems remain the same. Nothing has changed, even on New Year’s Eve we will demand the release of political prisoners. We will spend the new year near Saryan’s statue [where opposition members often gather in Yerevan], again with the same demand: Armenia must not have political prisoners, and we are simply amazed at the authorities’ obstinacy, when the whole world demands the release of Armenia’s political prisoners,” he said.

HAK representative Davit Shahnazaryan, in turn, assured demonstrators that a government elected by the people will undertake a full and rigorous investigation into the events of March 1, 2008 (when the forceful dispersal of peaceful demonstrators who were protesting the outcome of the Feb. 2008 presidential elections resulted in 10 people killed) and all those who are guilty will be held accountable.

“I am more than sure that after lawful government is formed in Armenia, these authorities will appeal to the international public so that the investigation into March 1 is undertaken by the international community, so that they answer for their crimes against international law and humanity,” said Shahnazaryan.

According to him, the government, by delaying the release of political prisoners, is paying for it by a weakening of statehood, by anti-national and anti-Armenian laws adopted in the National Assembly, with Nagorno-Karabakh and the security of the country.

“Once again I appeal to the authorities. You yourselves are exacerbating the situation. Rest assured that the day will come when Armenia will be a country without political prisoners and many of you will take their place. The international community, of course, helps us, but we have always been motivated by the conviction that we [ourselves] will resolve all of Armenia’s problems,” said the HAK member.