Sharmazanov on arrest of Sefilyan: “Who am I to rule out anything?” (video)
The NA Deputy Speaker, the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov doesn’t want to give assessments connected with yesterday’s arrest of the member of the Founding parliament Jirayr Sefilyan, though, at the same time he doesn’t share the opinions that it is a political persecution. “The law enforcement bodies have given the whole information, the investigative activities are underway, investigation isn’t over yet, Mr Sefilyan has a lawyer, everything will be public. It isn’t the issue to be commented by me, especially, taking into consideration political motives. I cannot see anything political here,” said Eduard Sharmazanov during the meeting with journalists, adding that this issue is in the legal field and it is the monopoly of the law enforcement bodies to deal with this issue. “We should understand that the political figures should not comment on everything. It is a legal issue and according to the RA Constitution the Judicial body operates independently from the Legislative and Executive bodies, so we should give a chance to the Judicial body to fulfill its obligation set by the Constitution,” noted the NA Deputy Speaker. In reply to the remarks of journalists that, nevertheless, there are accusations against the authorities that it is a political persecution, Sharmazanov answered. “I rule out that in Armenia…I don’t rule out, who am I to rule out anything or not, I am expressing my personal opinion that the times of the political persecutions remained in the past in Armenia.” Touching upon the trilateral meeting of the Presidents in St. Petersburg, the HHK spokesperson said that it was constructive and effective meeting. “The Armenian side didn’t expect serious progress from that meeting, as all we had heard Ilham Aliyev’s absurd statements made the day before, which I even don’t want to stoop to that level and comment on them. We have another task today; it isn’t ensuring progress, but excluding resumption of war on the Line of Contact. At least in today’s situation the meeting in St. Petersburg solved that issue and no one can say what will happen in the future,” noted Sharmazanov. The latter noted that the NKR has never been and can never be in Azerbaijan’s composition. He considers determination of the NKR status to be a priority, but not speaking about territorial concessions. In reply to the question whether the handshake of Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev during the meeting means a resumption of negotiations, Sharmazanov answered. “It depends on what you understand by saying negotiations. If you mean great progress, naturally, there is no great progress.” Sharmazanov also summed up the activities of the session of the NA, highlighting especially the Electoral Code, consolidation on which, he says, was unprecedented in the history of Armenian parliamentarism.
