Epress.am News from Armenia
Chief editor of local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) and opposition activist Nikol Pashinyan is getting ready to have a tête-à-tête with Armenian National Congress (HAK) member Vardges Gaspari in the coming days to speak about the incident which took place during the HAK rally on May 31. Pashinyan conveyed this news himself while speaking to journalists today.
As previously reported, during the HAK rally, Gaspari was demanding that recently released from prison HAK loyalist Ara Hovhannisyan step down from the podium. Gaspari shouted “Criminal!” when Hovhannisyan appeared on the stage, after which Nikol Pashinyan approached Gaspari and spoke with him privately. Later, Gaspari published a note on his Facebook page in which he described how while in prison, Hovhannisyan humiliated other prisoners and political prisoners, which is unacceptable for “the Movement.”
“Vardges Gaspari is my brother — I don’t doubt his dedication to the Movement in the least. When Gaspari says something, I listen very carefully; Gaspari and I even spoke over the phone yesterday. Vardges, for me, is an unquestionable authority; by saying Gaspari, we understand impeccability,” he said.
HAK representative David Shahnazaryan, during a press conference, today also addressed this issue.
“Ara Hovhannisyan was arrested for political reasons; the kind of person he is has no connection whatsoever with the issue that he was arrested for political reasons, and other issues are then of a different nature,” he said, adding that he deeply respects Vardges Gaspari and his principles.