Hovannisian urges police to investigate alleged “attempt on his life”March 25, 2013 - 15:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Campaign headquarters of former presidential candidate of Armenia, Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian issued a statement, urging the state police to investigate March 23 attempt on Hovannisian’s life. “On Saturday, March 23, at 6pm, an unidentified man entered Liberty Square and, yelling and pushing violently through the crowd, made his way to the stage, where Raffi Hovannisian was taking part in the Barevolution’s weekly folk concert. As the man closed in on his target, the 20 or so policemen, assigned to keep the peace at the Square, stood idly by, deciding to intervene only when the citizens themselves blocked the potential assassin, when he was within ten meters of Hovannisian. Less than an hour earlier, those very policemen had been most efficient in mobilizing to form a human wall between Hovannisian’s supporters and a small patch of grass to prevent a veteran tight-rope walker from making a short acrobatic presentation. It is a matter of public record that Raffi Hovannisian has been leading the most peaceful and constitutional popular movement in the history of Armenia, and has struggled in earnest to create a culture of mutual respect between citizen and policeman. So it is with great regret that we must express our deep disappointment in the state police who, in their fulfillment of unrightful political directives, failed to take timely action to thwart a possible attempt on Hovannisian’s life and to ensure the safety of citizens at Liberty Square. We call on the police, furthermore, to reveal immediately the identity of the potential assassin and the details of the criminal charges to be filed against him. And finally we demand that the police immediately change their increasingly hostile demeanor toward the very citizens whom they have been called to protect—but whom, instead, they continue to drive toward distrust, disobedience, and a final rejection of the regime. The people’s patience is not without limit. Full responsibility for all violations or violence committed against it, together with any measures that the people might take in response, shall fall on the de facto authorities and their agencies of enforcement,” the statement reads. Top stories Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. |