ADMINISTRATIVE COURT TO MAKE PUBLIC DECISION ON LAWSUIT OF 4 FORMER COLLABORATORS OF SYSTEM OF MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON MAY 29
Noyan Tapan
Ma y 14, 2008
YEREVAN, MAY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The examination of the lawsuit of 4
former collaborators of the system of the RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on restoring them on their previously held offices started
in the Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia under the
chairmanship of judge Hovsep Bedevian. Vladimir Karapetian, the Head
of the Press and Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Karine Afrikian, the Head of the U.S. and Canada Division
of the RA MInistry of Foreign Affairs, Marta Ayvazian, the Head of
NATO Division of Arms Control and International Security Department,
and Arakel Semirjian, the European Department Adviser, were relieved
of their posts for breaching the provisions of the law on "Diplomatic
service" on the February 25 and March 3 orders of Vardan Oskanian,
the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Levon Baghdasarian, the representative of the plaintiff’s side,
stressed that law prohibits a diplomat to make use of his/her
official position and working resources in the interest of parties,
non-governmental organizations and other political or religious
activities. Such actions have not been made by his defendants,
moreover, law prohibits to release a person from his/her post
for his/her convictions and viewpoints. According to him, just a
preoccupation is expressed on the occasion of the created situation
in the country in the February 24 statement of the plaintiff 4
former collaborators, the violations in the electoral process were
obvious and everybody was speaking about them. Plaintiff Vladimir
Karapetian clarified that the statement was not of political but of
civil character and was in keeping with the approaches expressed by
the representatives of the leadership of the country in that period,
the institution of about forty cases in connection with the violations
speaks about this. He quoted the public speeches of RA President
Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Serge Sargsian and Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian. The further March 1 events: 10 victims, hundreds of
injured, split society as a result of extreme confrontation, tens of
statements from international organizations prove that the situation
caused anxiety.
The plaintiffs mentioned that the distorted variant of the February
23 statement of Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Bayburdian, Ambassadors
Ruben Shugarian, Levon Khachatrian and Razmik Khumarian, which preceded
their statement, was introduced to court by the respondent side. The
plaintiff’s side introduced to court the statement in its initial form,
which was attached to the materials of the case.
In response to the question of the plaintiff’s side of whether they
can mention one expression in the statement of the plaintiffs, which
will show that the diplomats have supported any political force,
the respondent side only mentioned that the text of the statement
was made public by RA former President Levon Ter-Petrosian in the
Liberty square of Yerevan. No argument was either brought about the
fact that corresponding punitive measures have not been applied,
for example, against RA Deputy MInister of Foreign Affairs Gegham
Gharibjanian for supporting current Prime MInister Serge Sargsian,
one of the candidates running for the post of the RA President. And
Ruben Hakobian, the Consul General of Armenia to Saint Petersburg,
was released from his post by rotation order and not for taking part
in the campaign of the Dashnaktsutiun party, therefore, according to
the plaintiff’s side, a discriminative attitude has been displayed
towards them: they have been quickly released from their positions
without demanding an explanatory note.
Satenik Abgarian, the Head of the Legal Department of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, who represented the respondent side, and Levon
Amirjanian, the Adviser of the Secretariat of the staff of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, insisted upon the answer submitted to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to which the release of the
former collaborators from their posts is within the law and proceeds
from the provisions of the law.
The trial finished in the court, the court will make public its
decision on May 29.