Armenian MP Explained Why He Did Not Honor the Memory of Victims of March 1, 2008

Armenian National Congress MP Nikol Pashinyan did not participate in the minute of silence in the Armenian parliament today to commemorate the victims of Mar. 1, 2008, leaving the chamber. 

Pashinyan explained why he left the room on his Facebook page [AM].

"A little while ago Republican Party of Armenia MP Margarit Yesayan suggested to honor the memory of March 1 victims with one minute of silence. 

"Those present stood up. I didn't participate in the minute of silence and left the room because sitting in the National Assembly chamber today are people who have a direct link to the organization and implementation of the March 1 murders; people who personally gave orders to shoot the citizens of Armenia — it's not even ruled out to find those who followed the orders directly.

"Participating with them side-by-side in the minute of silence to commemorate the March 1 victims, as I see it, would be disrespectful to the memory of the victims. I will speak about this also in my speech," he wrote.