Epress.am News from Armenia
A protest is currently underway outside the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts in Yerevan where Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan’s brother Tigran Postanjyan’s case is being heard. Participating in the demonstration apart from Zaruhi Postanjyan and Heritage Party colleague Stepan Safaryan are Sardarapat Movement members Jirair Sefilian and Tigran Khzmalyan and many others.
As previously reported, Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General said on Friday that Tigran Postanjyan, who works for the local government of Yerevan’s Arabkir district, was paid 100,000 drams (about $275 US) last September to turn a blind eye to illegal construction carried out by an unnamed local resident. As reported by RFE/RL’s Armenian service, it is still not clear why the prosecutors waited for six months to open the criminal case.
Zaruhi’s brother, who was arrested two days ago by the National Security Service (NSS), in his statement earlier had said this was political persecution connected with his sister’s activities.
Those gathered outside the court are carrying posters with such inscriptions as “You won’t scare us,” “We’re all Tigran,” “’37 won’t be repeated” (referring to Stalin’s Year of Terror) and “Tigran Postanjyan is a victim of revenge.” Demonstrators were chanting and singing patriotic songs.
As previously reported, Zaruhi Postanjyan told journalists she believed the criminal case launched against her brother is a result of her participation in the protests of Gyumri and Vanadzor car owners protesting the nullification of a legal loophole that, until now, allowed them to pay significantly lower import taxes on cars they imported from neighboring Georgia.