AMERICAN EXPERTS COME LATE BUT THEY ARE NOT LATE
Gevorg Harutyunyan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
08 Oct 2008
Armenia
Yesterday the NA temporary committee investigating March 1-2
developments held a session and together with the three American
experts watched some recordings. After the session the correspondent of
"Hayots Ashkharh" daily had interview with Samvel Nikoyan.
"Mr. Nikoyan it was the first participation of the American experts
in the session of the committee. What facts did you introduce?"
"Firstly we introduced the work implemented by the committee, the
facts that we have managed to attain regarding March 1 developments. We
watched the recording of the events that took place in the Theatrical
Square on March 1, in the morning, later we watched the video,
which the journalist of "Haykakan Jamanak" daily had given to the
committee. And, by the way, not only did we bring the attention of the
American experts to certain episodes of the before mentioned recording
which mildly speaking give rise to doubt, but also informed them that
we have already appealed to the bodies that carry out the inquest and
the expert services to estimate the factual value and the assertion
of the before mentioned recordings.
Together with the American experts over again we studied the conclusion
of the Forensic Expertise Center. Particularly we have introduced
all the details about the t en victims, the reasons of death and
the injuries."
"According to NA decision before October 25 the temporary committee
must represent the results of their activity. How can the American
experts help you? Why are they so late?"
"I don’t think they are late. Especially because we have invited
experts from many other countries, but the thing is this issue has
become a matter of discussion only in the US Embassy in Armenia. So
it took lots of time to solve all the organizational issues. But we
are short of time and we are really in a hurry. This is the reason
why we think that the American experts are late.
In the near future we will start collecting factual data regarding
the death circumstances of the ten victims. We strongly believe that
both society and the National Assembly will demand clarifications
regarding the reasons of those people’s death.
At the moment it is difficult to say whether or not we are satisfied
with the results of our work, because we haven’t yet got the answers
of many expertise. Once we receive all the proper documents, we will
speak about the progress."
"Did the American experts express any opinion after watching the
recording?"
‘They are serious people and they will hardly express any opinion
immediately after watching photos or videos. They must firstly analyze
the information.
We asked the m if they would do expertise of the photos and the
recordings to see whether or not they coincide with the reality. They
said they must first discuss that possibility. Besides that they must
also decide where and in what conditions can they do it.
I must record that our law enforcement structures and the police
allocated recordings of two minutes duration. In my view they simply
don’t have other ones. Better if they had other videos but didn’t give
them to us, but the fact that they don’t have any proper recordings
is very bad.
The police didn’t record the illegal demonstrations and protest marches
preceding March 1 developments. It is really bad because these facts
are very necessary for us, for the police, for the prosecutors and
society.
We must clarify many details regarding the videos that we possess,
because there are lots of speculations around those videos. It is
not yet clear who has recorded those videos."
"By the way the place of the pro-oppositional vice-chairman of the
committee is still vacant. Do you think they do it intentionally?"
"Not only is it intentional but also very regrettable. The absence
of the opposition makes the activity of the committee very difficult.
Non-participation is a political decision. Had they cooperated with the
committee, people could have expected to get certain clarifications
to their questions. And that would ha ve mitigated the internal
political tension. It is a pure political decision, because today
not everyone wants to know the truth. And these people say that the
committee doesn’t have any desire to be impartial.
Are they impartial? Why hasn’t any radical witness come and told the
committee what they have seen?"