(Saturday, June 27)
The June 19 general amnesty declared by the Armenian authorities prompts “168 Zham” to recall the fate of Vano Siradeghian, a controversial former interior minister who fled Armenia in 2000 to avoid arrest on murder charges. The paper contends that Siradeghian was prosecuted for “solely political motives.” “The June 19 amnesty act does not the [Criminal Code] article under which Vano Siradeghian is accused,” says the paper.
Speaking to “Aravot,” opposition leader Hovannes Hovannisian defends opposition deputy Zaruhi Postanjian for accepting the written backing of Azerbaijani and Turkish parliamentarian for her call for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) to demand the release of all Armenian “political prisoners.” Hovannisian says that instead of attacking Postanjian, the other, pro-government members of the Armenian delegation at the PACE must explain their refusal to back this demand.
“Zhamanak” says those attacks are part of broader government efforts to discredit the Armenian opposition. “The Azerbaijanis and Turks have realized that there is no need to seek to weaken Armenia in any international body and all they need to do is to back an initiative aimed at strengthening Armenia,” says the pro-opposition daily. “In a matter of hours and days the Armenian authorities will attack, destroy, discredit that initiative in a way that the Turks and Azerbaijanis could only dream about.”
“If the Armenian authorities really have a desire to fight against vote irregularities and election falsifiers, they could have easily added electoral crimes to [Criminal Code] articles not covered by the amnesty,” writes “Haykakan Zhamanak.” “This would have demonstrated that vote rigging is not sponsored by the state.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” mocks the Armenian opposition’s tactics of campaigning for regime change. “Grandiose statements, ultimatums, rallies, coup attempts. All this is a road to deadlock,” says the pro-presidential paper.
(Aghasi Yenokian)
The June 19 general amnesty declared by the Armenian authorities prompts “168 Zham” to recall the fate of Vano Siradeghian, a controversial former interior minister who fled Armenia in 2000 to avoid arrest on murder charges. The paper contends that Siradeghian was prosecuted for “solely political motives.” “The June 19 amnesty act does not the [Criminal Code] article under which Vano Siradeghian is accused,” says the paper.
Speaking to “Aravot,” opposition leader Hovannes Hovannisian defends opposition deputy Zaruhi Postanjian for accepting the written backing of Azerbaijani and Turkish parliamentarian for her call for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) to demand the release of all Armenian “political prisoners.” Hovannisian says that instead of attacking Postanjian, the other, pro-government members of the Armenian delegation at the PACE must explain their refusal to back this demand.
“Zhamanak” says those attacks are part of broader government efforts to discredit the Armenian opposition. “The Azerbaijanis and Turks have realized that there is no need to seek to weaken Armenia in any international body and all they need to do is to back an initiative aimed at strengthening Armenia,” says the pro-opposition daily. “In a matter of hours and days the Armenian authorities will attack, destroy, discredit that initiative in a way that the Turks and Azerbaijanis could only dream about.”
“If the Armenian authorities really have a desire to fight against vote irregularities and election falsifiers, they could have easily added electoral crimes to [Criminal Code] articles not covered by the amnesty,” writes “Haykakan Zhamanak.” “This would have demonstrated that vote rigging is not sponsored by the state.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” mocks the Armenian opposition’s tactics of campaigning for regime change. “Grandiose statements, ultimatums, rallies, coup attempts. All this is a road to deadlock,” says the pro-presidential paper.
(Aghasi Yenokian)