Epress.am News from Armenia
The accusation against Tigran Postanjyan, brother of Heritage Party parliamentary faction MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, Heritage Party MP Stepan Safaryan considers to be retaliation toward their party, considering Postanjyan’s brother to be the victim and noting that this attack is aimed not only at Zaruhi Postanjyan, but also at the Heritage Party.
Recall that, according to the RA General Prosecutor, three days ago, leading department specialist Tigran Postanjyan, working with management agencies of multi-residential buildings and utilities of Yerevan’s Arabkir administrative district, demanded and illegally received 100,000 Armenia drams (about $274 US) remuneration for turning a blind eye to illegal construction done in his district.
“When, on Friday evening, it became clear what’s going on, it can be said that the coalition declaration was literally put into effect, to put it this way, on the threshold of the forthcoming elections to seek retaliation against all those people, all those political forces, those civic, public movements and those people who might threaten their power and seats,” said Safaryan.
Tigran Postanjyan’s attorney Hayk Alumyan, who was also present at the press conference, described how his client received a phone call on Friday evening from an unknown caller who said he’s being forced to testify against Tigran because they’re trying to get back at Zaruhi Postanjyan.
When Tigran tried to meet with the unidentified caller, he didn’t come at the time and place they had agreed. And only after this incident did Tigran Postanjyan find out through the general prosecutor’s website that a criminal lawsuit was launched against him. The attorney deemed this to be a harsh violation of human rights.
“A public servant has received an illegal payment. What’s noteworthy here is that a criminal case has been launched and not once did they call him in for questioning. Now it seems if someone sends a message to the general prosecutor’s office about a crime, the prosecutor’s office gives itself the right to say this man is a criminal,” said the attorney.
Zaruhi Postanjyan said she won’t stand back. “This is a holy war, we will wage a war and come out victorious,” she said.
She is confident that this is an order being carried out, and Postanjyan doesn’t rule out the possibility that it might’ve come from the highest levels.
In the parliamentarian’s opinion, this retribution is the result of her participation in the protests by Gyumri and Vanadzor drivers of cars with Georgian plates.
She noted that Gyumri drivers shared with her remarks by police officers, who met with protesting drivers and said, “Postanjyan can’t protect her brother’s rights, how will she protect yours?”
Safaryan, speaking about how the general prosecutor’s office has launched a criminal action against Tigran Postanjyan, said, guided by the same logic and based on the cables released by WikiLeaks, it can be said that the RA General Prosecutor’s office is a pimp and engages in human trafficking.
The Heritage Party MPs said that they’ve always received such threatening calls; it’s just they didn’t want to voice them until now.
According to Safaryan, this case is set to fail and it’s not defense, but an attack that will come from them. Attorney Hayk Alumyan, directing his words to those who launched the lawsuit, said the case will make it to the European court, if “it continues this way.”
Editor’s Note: “for turning a blind eye to illegal construction done in his district” was added on Feb. 22, 2010, as additional information, providing background to the alleged payment received.