Under Absence of Changes Seizure of the Police Precinct would be simply a ‘Journal’: Edmon Marukyan

We talked to Edmon Marukyan, NA MP, Chairman of the Board of “Bright Armenia” party, on seizure of the police precinct by “Sasna Tsrer” group and legal implications, dismissing of heads of power structures, decolonization.

Mr. Marukyan, on July 17 developments were initiated, to which Armenia, in particular, after the April war, wasn’t so ready. Clashed have been recorded, unknown people provoked the protest, lots of people have been arrested, and finally, “Sasna Tsrer” group members put down the weapons. In your opinion, which is legal assessment to this? What’s its instigation and what will it lead to?

I think instigation is quite clear, as in the country throughout 25 years changes haven’t been recorded as a result of political discourse, I mean in political processes, political debates, and the authorities did their best to destroy any developing political organism. And naturally, when political organisms are destroyed, others come to substitute them, and when policy pursued through peaceful or conventional methodology fails, that sacred place doesn’t remain empty. In fact, at least for me, there was no any surprise, as members of the Founding Parliament said they don’t see other possibility for changes through elections, they don’t observe the possibility to be involved in systemic political processes and observe reforms through likewise methods. Those people publicly stated it.

I don’t know how the law enforcement referred to it, however, the point that it became possible in Armenia to seize the police precinct and keep the situation for 15 days, in fact, we had such a precedent. I think it’s early touching upon the implications, we’ll see and feel those implications yet for a lasting period. People’s disappointment linked to recent events, as hatred against the authorities is so big, that people had hope that it’ll be possible to record positive changes in Armenia through an armed group, and if there is such an approach, belief in those methods, if it fails, naturally, there is also apathy and deep disappointment, which will have its influence on the forthcoming political developments, I mean local self-government elections, then Parliamentary elections. And from this the one to benefit are the authorities only.

From the very first days, violence was recorded against the demonstrators, which reached their culmination during the developments in Sari Tagh, with the use of special means, which under such conditions isn’t applicable at all. The issue of responsibility should be risen in the Police, and some people have been released recently, however, it in no way satisfies us, as we consider, instead of investigations, criminal lawsuit should be initiated, within which the issue of responsibility should be settled, that they didn’t undergo responsibility, but we concretely have sentenced representatives of both the Police and special forces, which did atrocities, also engaging people in civilian clothes, and it’s not clear who they are.