Kocharian holds Ter-Petrossian responsible for riots, deaths

Ex-president’s arrest, prosecution not ruled out

by Armenian Reporter staff

Published: Saturday March 08, 2008

National security forces trying to control the crowds at the French Embass. Photolure

Yerevan - "Unfortunately we did not succeed in avoiding clashes and there are deaths," President Robert Kocharian said at the start of a press conference on March 5. "And of course, in the first place, I would like to extend my condolences to the families of those deceased. There are also many injured, and we hope that they will get better quickly."

"When I watch those videos I feel ashamed"

"Events showed that declaring a state of emergency was a necessity, and I believe that if we had not used that method, the losses would have been greater and the consequences more severe for Armenia," Mr. Kocharian said. He said he saw no reason to extend the state of emergency beyond the 20 days declared, or to cut it short. "Firstly we have to locate the organizers and draw up the list. Prior to lifting the state of emergency, we must be sure that there will not be a repeat of unlawfulness on this scale. Today we do not completely have that trust, as people who used weapons and explosive substances are still at large."

The president stressed that Armenia's reputation "was seriously damaged. Let us cast a look back and consider Armenia's standing a month ago. Everyone said that it was the most stable and rapidly developing country in the region. What happened in the blink of an eye? Let me tell you honestly: When I watch those videos, I feel ashamed. I cannot believe that this could possibly happen here. And so, we must all have the courage to evaluate all that has happened soberly and, of course, we must work together to restore the reputation of the country and the attitude of the world toward our nation."

Ter-Petrossian "must bear direct responsibility"

Levon Ter-Petrossian, who led protests in which he argued that he had won the February 19 presidential election and urged senior civil servants, diplomats, and those in uniform to declare allegiance to him, absolved himself of responsibility for the deaths, injuries, and damages of March 1. In an op-ed published by the Washington Post, he urged the West to hold the government, not him, responsible.

President Kocharian, however, argued that the "disgrace that took place in Yerevan was the direct result" of Mr. Ter-Petrossian's activity. "Levon Ter-Petrossian bears direct responsibility for this, and he must answer to the people and the law enforcement bodies and not try to solve the issue by bringing external pressure to bear through the Washington Post. And if there is to be any forgiveness, one's nation must be the forgiver."

The president divided the organizers of the March 1 events into categories: The first "were those who were provoking the clashes very aggressively. The ‘striking' public figure was Nikol Pashinian," he said, referring to the emcee of Mr. Ter-Petrossian's rallies and editor Armenia's highest-circulation daily, Haykakan Zhamanak. "Yesterday you probably had the opportunity to view the video."

A police video showed Mr. Pashinian telling the angry protesters in central Yerevan, "After my speech, I hope you will separate into four groups. Each group will move toward an entrance [of Miasnikian Square] to reinforce the barricades. If each of us places something on them, we will certainly achieve something. I am appealing to each of you to have something in your hands to organize the resistance - whether that is a piece of wood, rocks, stones, it doesn't matter. Men, you don't know how my heart soared when I heard that you had taken the shields and truncheons away from the police."

Mr. Kocharian contrasted Mr. Pashinian's behavior to that of David Shahnazarian, Mr. Ter-Petrossian's in-law and a former head of national security. Mr. Shahnazarian "was trying to somehow calm the people down, but the crowd obeyed the provocateurs," the president said.

The president said another group comprised those who had organized the attack on the police and had used weapons and explosive substances. "This group is mainly responsible for the victims, because as a result of their activity there were deaths and numerous injured. More than 130 injured; mostly police. And what those culprits were doing against the police bore all the the signs of being previously organized." Another group, he said, were the looters.

The various groups "have committed crimes of different degrees and, of course, the approach to them will also differ," Mr. Kocharian said.

Asked whether Mr. Ter-Petrossian was prevented from going to the square to calm passions, the president said, "He could have gone easily. No one was hindering him. The thing is that his guards, who are military officers, told him that they could not participate in illegal events, but Ter-Petrossian was free to go without guards. If he was afraid of his personal security, then he should have also been worried about the security of those gathered. And he should have been man enough, if he was truly worried, to simply go and participate in the rally."

The president said that the former president set conditions for agreeing to call for calm. "The conditions were the following: he goes out and leads those people toward Freedom Square, continues the rally, and requires that we guarantee that he can continue doing the same for another 15 days. But by the time he suggested this, the situation had already gotten out of hand in front of the City Hall."