Opposition Lawmaker Stresses His Distrust of Armenian Law Enforcement, Refuses to Cooperate with Investigation

Levon Zurabyan, leader of the parliamentary faction of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), does not intend to cooperate with the investigation into his recent statements since, as the politician stressed in a statement issued on Tuesday, he does not trust the law enforcement in Armenia.

Note, Armenian General Prosecutor's office announced on Monday the Police would look into Zurabyan's claims, according to which RA Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik Harutyunyan had bribed the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission for a positive conclusion on the Serzh Sargsyan-initiated constitutional amendments.

Head of the Police's General Department on Combating Organized Crime Rafayel Zakaryan addressed a letter to Zurabyan, asking him to provide evidence of the bribery allegations. Zurabyan, in response, stated his complete lack of trust in the Armenian police, prosecutor's office, and investigative bodies “which have repeatedly proven in the past that in politically sensitive cases they are always guided by the instructions of the corrupt regime.”

The ANC parliamentary faction, the opposition lawmaker added, has previously provided the law enforcement agencies with information necessary to uncover cases of corruption and abuse, as well as the crimes of March 1, 2008; however, instead of establishing the truth, “law enforcement took on the role of the authorities' guardians and concealed these crimes.”

“[Rafayel Zakaryan’s] letter also shows that the actions of the prosecutor’s office and [Zakaryan’s department] are devoid of any legal basis and pursue exclusively the propagandistic goals of the political authorities. I have no desire to participate in such spectacles,” Zurabyan's statement read.