HAK holds rally on 2008 unrest anniversary (video)
19.40 Participants of the rally organized by the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) in Liberty Square observed a minute of silence in memory of the March 1 victims. “As long as the March 1 tragedy remains uncovered, we shall gather here. It is a matter of honour and dignity for Armenians. We promise to have the crime disclosed. The relatives of the [ten] victims are with us,’ said HAK member Aram Manukyan. “The international community has asked two questions to the authorities of Armenia. What sanctions were applied against those responsible for excessive use of force during the crackdown on the peaceful protest? What measures were taken to provide adequate compensation to the victims’ families? The authorities have not answered these questions to this day,” he continued. In his speech Stepan Demirchyan, Chairman of the People’s Party of Armenia (HZhK), said instead of carrying out an impartial investigation, the authorities blamed the opposition for the deadly post-election clashes. “There were trumped-up charges and humiliating trials but no one stood trial for the killings in the city center. Head of the HAK parliamentary faction, Levon Zurabyan, said they had gathered in the square not only to commemorate the people who sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy, but also to remind the current and future authorities that the Armenian people will not allow repetition of a crime like March 1 when the authorities shed the blood of their compatriots. “No one will digest this,” he said. The rallies then marched to the Statue of Alexander Myasnikyan, where they laid flowers and put candles in memory of the March 1 victims. 18.16 The opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) party holds rally in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on Wednesday in commemoration of the victims of the 2008 post-election clashes. The rally starts at 6.00. Ten people were killed and more than 100 others were injured on March 1-2, 2008 when security forces suppressed protests by supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan who disputed the outcome of a presidential election which announced Serzh Sargsyan as president of the country.
