Verelq: There can be no return to the manners of the past. Pashinyan’s March 1 message

RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered a message on the occasion of March 1, in which it is said:

“Dear people, proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia,

Proud citizens of Artsakh Republic,

Proud Armenians of Diaspora,

Exactly 11 years ago today, March 1, 2008, blood was shed in the center of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

The government of the day used illegal force against peaceful protesters, as a result of which 8 citizens of the Republic of Armenia were killed, and two more people died later from the wounds they received that day.

Five of the victims received gunshot wounds, three people died from the use of the “Cheryomukha-7” special agent, one person from a shrapnel injury, and one person from an injury caused by a blunt instrument.

11 years after those events, it is extremely important to make a political assessment of what happened. And now I consider it necessary to record that the actions of the ruling elite in 2008 were not at all directed against a separate force, group, individual, the main and perhaps the only target of those violence and illegalities was the citizen of the Republic of Armenia. his right, his dignity and freedom.

The victims of March 1 are not only Gor Kloyan, Armen Farmanyan, Tigran Khachatryan, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Davit Petrosyan, Zakar Hovhannisyan, Grigor Gevorgyan, Samvel Harutyunyan, Hamlet Tadevosyan, Tigran Abgaryan, but also every citizen of the Republic of Armenia, every protester fighting for his rights, because the murderer, say, for example, when he shot Davit Petrosyan, he did not know that he was specifically Davit Petrosyan. born on April 16, 1974 in Yerevan.

The murderer did not know that he was shooting at Davit Petrosyan, but he definitely knew that he was shooting at a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. Therefore, a shot fired at each of the March 1 victims is a shot fired at each of us.

March 1, 2008, however, was not just a phenomenon that occurred that morning, but a condensed eruption of illegalities, election frauds, political murders, persecutions, and permissiveness that oppressed Armenia and its people for many years.

These unacceptable phenomena were expressed painfully quickly in our lives after the declaration of independence of the Third Republic, when it seemed that democracy had irreversibly won.

And due to bad memories, concerns and fears are often voiced today that after the non-violent, velvet, people’s revolution in 2018 and the victory of democracy, Armenia may also fall into the same cycle that it fell into not long after gaining independence. 

And today, on March 1, 2019, I want to clearly record that there can be no return to past customs and relations. Armenia will not return to the times of corruption, political persecution, political violence, disregard and violation of rights, permissiveness and impudence. 

Also, in order to record our universal loyalty to the values ​​of the non-violent, velvet, people’s revolution that took place in the spring of 2018, as the head of the Republic of Armenia, I apologize on behalf of the state to all the victims of March 1, 2008, to all the victims of all the political murders that took place in Armenia since independence, to all the citizens and political forces subjected to political persecution. 

I also apologize for all the election frauds that took place in Armenia, illegalities organized and coordinated by the ruling elite, corruption, political murders, noting that the page of resolving issues with violence is closed in Armenia, and this is how I perceive the vote of confidence given to us by the citizens.

Our joint mission is to make Armenia a country of law and justice, truth and values, and we will not deviate a single millimeter from that mission.

This does not mean that there are no more cases of illegality, violation of rights, even bribery and violence in today’s Armenia. Unfortunately, such cases still exist. But every citizen should be 100% sure that the government, the prime minister is not the sponsor and coordinator of any illegality, but the opponent and opponent.  

We will inevitably win in the fight against illegalities, violations of rights, abuses, and in uncovering the crimes committed by the ruling elite, because the people and the government are united, and such unity is invincible and merciless.

And to express our unity, our joint commitment to justice, legality, democracy, protection of rights, today at 18:30 I invite all of you to march from Yerevan’s Freedom Square to Myasnikyan’s statue. With this march, we will pay our respects to the victims of all political murders on March 1 and say our decisive no to violence, injustice, illegality, corruption, election fraud, and violation of rights.

And so, long live freedom, long live the Republic of Armenia, long live the Republic of Artsakh, long live we and our children who live and will live in Free and Happy Armenia.

Dear compatriots,

Today is spring. You brought this spring to Armenia.”