ORGANIZERS OF UNREST IN YEREVAN WILL BE PUNISHED – PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS
March 4, 2008
Russia
The people who ordered, orchestrated and took part in recent mass
unrest in Yerevan will be punished, presidential press secretary
Viktor Sogomonian said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"Levon Ter-Petrosian and his team, and all those who provoked and
organized mass unrest and called for overthrowing the incumbent
authorities will be punished," Sogomonian said.
"Especially those who provoked unrest," he added.
The situation in the city is returning to normal, he said.
Asked about the possibility of a dialogue with the radical opposition
and a possible format of such dialogue, Sogomonian said he did not
see a possibility for such dialogue now.
"Before those events took place, there were chances for dialogue.
The opposition said more than once that it ruled out the possibility
of dialogue with the authorities. I do not see such an opportunity
now. Can anything really be discussed after what happened?" Sogomonian
said.
The unsanctioned opposition rallies had lasted for ten days, he said.
There were armed people among those who incited the unrest, while
police were unarmed, Sogomonian said. "International institutions
should know that there was no excessive use of force. The Armenian
political leadership ordered that violence be avoided as much as
possible and that the use of force be minimized," he said.