Several protests held outside Presidential Palace in Yerevan

Emma Sahakyan, a female relative of the famous Armenian revolutionary hero and statesman Garegin Nzhdeh, who was deprived of her property because of a niece, has been coming to the presidential residence for two years in search of justice. “I have been coming here for two years but to no avail. I welcome and farewell their escort but no one pays attention to me,” says the 76-year-old woman. Emma Sahakyan has been offered to move to a nursery house but she has refused to live elsewhere. Sahakyan demands to return her property, which, she claims, was seized by a niece after her sister’s death. She says her niece first unlawfully took possession of the apartment which was bequeathed to her daughter, and later deprived her of property. The relatives of the 12 defendants in the so-called Harsnakar case were also outside the presidential palace, calling for a review of the decision of a lower court that sentenced the defendants to 12 years in prison. One could see a group of disabled pilots outside the presidential compound, who demanded their pensions for eight years. The pilots claim that the authorities are turning a blind eye to their disability caused at work and intentionally declared Armenian Airlines Company insolvent in 2006 in order to avoid payment of pensions. “Laws do not work in this country. The authorities are guided by the principle: “We have always cheated you and will continue cheating,” says Seyran Sargsyan. Aram Manukyan, a lawmaker of the Armenian National Congress (HAK), says Serzh Sargsyan is showing disrespect for protesters by not coming out and talking to them. “If a president does not want to solve the problems of his citizens, he cannot govern the country,” he said.