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Interfax News Agency, Russia
Russia & CIS
March 7, 2008
THOSE GUILTY OF YEREVAN RIOTS WILL BE PUNISHED - SARGSYAN
Armenian President-elect, acting Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has
vowed to punish those guilty of mass riots in Yerevan after the
February 19 presidential election.
Things that we had been talking about for several months but were
unable to prevent happened in Armenia. If we failed to prevent them,
this means we are guilty as well, Sargsyan said at a governmental
meeting on Thursday.
One should think about clearing the aftermath of the events, he said.
We incurred moral and material damage linked to security and
international authority of our country, in addition to fatalities,
the PM said.
Sargsyan also said that those responsible will be punished. I
absolutely guarantee this to you all. This is not just a promise,
this is a duty that I will fulfill, he said.
The Yerevan city hall, the Finance and the Justice ministries should
react to the events and come up with their proposals swiftly, he
said. Spite has grown in public; it has been split, Sargsyan said,
expressing hope for active work in this area.
One should speak to, argue with and explain things even to those
blind by hate, the PM said. Moreover, the work with international
organizations as to the correct covering of events has been passive,
he said.
I propose to closely study the information prepared by official state
agencies and I assure you that the information is correct. You can
rest on it without doubts, Sargsyan said.
The Armenian Army proved once again that it is a sound organization
and that it offered a proper reaction to security challenges, he
said.
We described the situation in the national security strategy in the
times when many thought that this is just a theoretical provision and
that this is impossible. Unfortunately, this turned out to be
possible, Sargsyan said.
The opposition, headed by Levon Ter-Petrosian, a former Armenian
president, launched mass protests the day after the February 19
presidential election, demanding a revision of the results.
Police dispersed the rally on Liberty Square on March 1. The
protesters then moved to an area adjacent to the embassies of France
and Italy, where up to 10,000 people rallied. Police reported that,
by the evening, the situation had become uncontrollable and crowds
had started looting nearby government institutions and private shops,
setting cars ablaze in the process. An end was put to the rioting
after a 20-day state of emergency was introduced in Yerevan by a
presidential decree.
According to official data, eight people died and 131 sustained
injuries in the rioting.
Russia & CIS
March 7, 2008
THOSE GUILTY OF YEREVAN RIOTS WILL BE PUNISHED - SARGSYAN
Armenian President-elect, acting Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has
vowed to punish those guilty of mass riots in Yerevan after the
February 19 presidential election.
Things that we had been talking about for several months but were
unable to prevent happened in Armenia. If we failed to prevent them,
this means we are guilty as well, Sargsyan said at a governmental
meeting on Thursday.
One should think about clearing the aftermath of the events, he said.
We incurred moral and material damage linked to security and
international authority of our country, in addition to fatalities,
the PM said.
Sargsyan also said that those responsible will be punished. I
absolutely guarantee this to you all. This is not just a promise,
this is a duty that I will fulfill, he said.
The Yerevan city hall, the Finance and the Justice ministries should
react to the events and come up with their proposals swiftly, he
said. Spite has grown in public; it has been split, Sargsyan said,
expressing hope for active work in this area.
One should speak to, argue with and explain things even to those
blind by hate, the PM said. Moreover, the work with international
organizations as to the correct covering of events has been passive,
he said.
I propose to closely study the information prepared by official state
agencies and I assure you that the information is correct. You can
rest on it without doubts, Sargsyan said.
The Armenian Army proved once again that it is a sound organization
and that it offered a proper reaction to security challenges, he
said.
We described the situation in the national security strategy in the
times when many thought that this is just a theoretical provision and
that this is impossible. Unfortunately, this turned out to be
possible, Sargsyan said.
The opposition, headed by Levon Ter-Petrosian, a former Armenian
president, launched mass protests the day after the February 19
presidential election, demanding a revision of the results.
Police dispersed the rally on Liberty Square on March 1. The
protesters then moved to an area adjacent to the embassies of France
and Italy, where up to 10,000 people rallied. Police reported that,
by the evening, the situation had become uncontrollable and crowds
had started looting nearby government institutions and private shops,
setting cars ablaze in the process. An end was put to the rioting
after a 20-day state of emergency was introduced in Yerevan by a
presidential decree.
According to official data, eight people died and 131 sustained
injuries in the rioting.