Parents of Mar. 1 Victims to Try to Meet with PACE Co-Rapporteurs During their Armenia Visit

Parents of the victims of the events of Mar. 1–2, 2008, in Yerevan had decided back in early June to organize a sit-in, explaining that one month has passed since Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced a more thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding these events, but there has not yet been any progress, reports local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”).

Recall that mass protests against alleged electoral fraud followed the 2008 presidential election in Armenia. On Mar. 1–2, 2008, national police and military forces, called in to disperse the crowds, used “excessive force and violence” which left 10 people dead and many more wounded.

Mother of Tigran Khachatryan, one of the Mar. 1 victims, and coordinator of the March 1 NGO Alla Hovhannisyan suggested to postpone the sit-in so that it coincides with the PACE co-rapporteurs’ visit to Armenia on Jul. 20.

Haykakan Jamanak asked Hovhannisyan whether the parents are preparing to stage the sit-in they announced. Hovhannisyan said they are now discussing what form their protest will take and nothing final has been decided yet. She did assure the daily, however, that the victims’ parents will most definitely send a letter to the Armenian branch of PACE with the request that they organize a meeting with the co-rapporteurs.

“We have to be able to take such steps so that there will be a strict mention of the Mar. 1 deaths in the PACE co-rapporteurs’ report in the fall session. As for what measures we will take on to make our voice audible, we still don’t know; we’re discussing it,” she said.