Video: Ter-Petrossian Supporters Silence Dissenting Voice

E-Channel posts a link to the video shot by Public TV H1 of supporters at a Levon Ter-Petrossian rally in Talin beating a heckler in the crowd. During the first case of pre-election campaign-related violence to date, a voice can be heard to one side applauding the attack.

“They’re doing right, they’re doing right,” the voice can be heard saying in Armenian before another calls for calm when the man, Sargis Karapetyan, has effectively been violently removed from a public area.

E-Channel also reports that rather than show regret, Ter-Petrossian’s campaign team instead allege that the victim of the assault was a “provocation” by the National Security Service (NSS) although no evidence to support that claim has been produced.

Sargis Karapetyan has applied to the police. As told by the RA general prosecutor’s office.

“Based on the prepared materials, it has become clear that on January 27, 2008, at around 11:30, during the electoral gathering of RA presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian in the square of Talin, Zh. Sapeyan, M. Sapeyan, Baghdasaryan and a group of other persons battered Karapetyan.”

In relation with the incident, the investigatory department of Talin has instituted criminal proceedings, based on the characteristics of the 118th article of the RA criminal code. A preliminary investigation is being made.