Kocharian Attacks Ter-Petrossian, Defends 1 March Actions

RFE.RL reports that the former president, Robert Kocharian, has justified the use of force against supporters of his predecessor, Levon Ter-Petrossian, following the 19 February presidential election which brought the prime minister, Serge Sargsyan, to power.

Kocharian alleges that Ter-Petrossian “hungered for blood as a tool to continue the political struggle” and “did everything to provoke unrest and make the police use force.” The former president also dismissed claims that Ter-Petrossian was placed under house arrest on 1 March.

The Armenian authorities say security forces that tried to disperse the angry crowd were not only pelted with stones and Molotov cocktails but also came under gunfire. Two of the ten people killed in the clashes were interior troop servicemen. The authorities also point to the looting of several shops and burning of dozens of cars that followed the police retreat from one of the streets leading to the area.

However, the official version of events has been questioned by Armenia’s human rights ombudsman, Armen Harutiunian, and international human rights organization. In an extensive report issued late last month, Harutiunian said that the Armenian police have so far failed to publicize any evidence of the use of firearms by the protesters. None of several dozen Ter-Petrosian supporters arrested since March has been charged with firing at security forces.

According to Kocharian, this is so because “many important figures are still hiding from the investigation.” “Attempts to cast doubts on the fact of the use of arms, whereas two policemen and soldiers were killed and 41 were wounded, are just foolish,” he said.

Meanwhile, there are signs that an independent inquiry will be held into the 1 March events. Such an investigation is urgently needed and a key demand from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in a resolution passed 18 April.

RFE/RL also reports that Prosperous Armenia MP Avet Adonts believes that such an inquiry involve “representatives of all political parties represented in the legislature as well as members of “extraparliamentary forces” and international forensic experts.”