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Republican lawmaker: We do not live in Zimbabwe or any African country (video)

Politics
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Republican Levon Martirosyan does not see any similarities between the political regimes in Armenia and Azerbaijan because he says ‘we do not have political prisoners in Armenia.’ Nor does he agree with the opinion that in both countries people who call for power change are immediately arrested and charged with a crime. “[Zhirayr] Sefilyan seems to me to be an inappropriate example, because what he planned to do on April 24 was nonsense, if not immorality, hence cannot be considered to be a coup attempt,” says the Republican lawmaker. Levon Martirosyan says none of the arrested members of the Founding Parliament movement can be considered a criminal until there is a court verdict.   When reminded about court verdicts in view of Alexander Arzumanyan and Shant Harutyunyan, the lawmaker said, “They were convicted of hooliganism. If the change of power was to be carried out by Shant Harutyunyan, then I am sorry to say but I am glad that it did not happen.” Hovhannes Margaryan, another lawmaker of the Republican Party of Armenia, is even offended to hear that the political systems in Armenia and Azerbaijan are compared and even put on the same platform. “Even Europeans do not draw such parallels. People in Armenia are not arrested for expressing their opinion.  Frankly speaking, I would not like you to compare the two systems, it is not correct,” he said. Mr Sahakyan says the last word in the case of Zhirayr Sefilyan and his associates belongs to the Criminal Court. “Then they can appeal the verdict in higher courts, of course. Eventually, we do not live in Zimbabwe or any African country where laws are relatively weaker.” At the same time, he reminds that in Armenia the only way to come to power is through legitimate elections.