“Zhoghovurd” carries a commentary on the 11th anniversary of the 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan. The paper says that Armenia’s former authorities “did everything to cover up” the use of lethal force against opposition protesters and its consequences, blaming the bloodshed on Levon Ter-Petrosian and his associates. It welcomes a renewed and very different investigation into those tragic events which began after last year’s “velvet revolution.” “It is imperative to clear up all circumstances and hold the guilty accountable,” it says. “And this must be done in a way that will leave no doubts about the impartiality of judges and investigators [dealing with the case.]”
“Aravot” disagrees with those who say that the March 2008 tragedy in Yerevan must not be “politicized.” “That tragedy was a direct consequence of political events and, more precisely, rigged elections,” argues the paper. Having said that, it goes on, all political forces must acknowledge that “the practice of falsifying elections began in 1995” and that “the electoral process was accompanied by violence from that moment on.” “It’s just that [former President Robert] Kocharian went beyond all limits with his trademark brutality and vengefulness,” it says.
Lragir.am comments on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s latest statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Visiting Iran, Pashinian said that Armenia will continue to seek international recognition of Karabakh’s right to self-determination and its greater role in Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks. A senior aide to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev responded by ruling out any change in the current negotiating format. The online publication sees “two ways out of this situation.” “Either the negotiations will be frozen until the parties change their motivation or one of them will blink and cannons will start firing,” it says.
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Facebook Forum