(Saturday, July 28)
“Zhamanak” says that if the coup charges levelled against former President Robert Kocharian are backed by Armenian courts it will mean that his successor Serzh Sarkisian’s decade-long rule was illegal. “This logic makes Serzh Sarkisian’s involved in this criminal case almost inevitable,” writes the paper.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” likewise says that the 2008 post-election violence occurred “in order for power to be transferred to Serzh Sarkisian.” “He was ready to hold on to power at any cost, including by using the army against protesting citizens,” claims. “Had he not wanted the blood of ten people to be linked to him he would have resigned after March 1 [2008.]”
The paper close to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also hits out at another former president, Levon Ter-Petrosian, who did not leave his home to join his supporters demonstrating in Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008. “Only Ter-Petrosian’s presence could have mitigated the bloody clash between security forces and demonstrators,” it says. The paper goes on to assert that the three ex-presidents must get together and publicly give answers about the events of March 2008.
“Sometimes sticking to the letter of the law is more important that delivering justice,” writes “Hraparak.” “The March 2008 case must definitely be solved,” it says. “We need to understand who did what, who ordered what, how people got killed. But that must not be done by wrecking the law and being guided by a pre-election logic. And it’s not good when that is done by someone who was imprisoned and endured other sufferings as a result of March 1: Nikol Pashinian, whose personal interest may also be playing a role and indirectly influencing courts in this case.”
(Tatev Danielian)