Tuesday,
Armenian Parliament Allows Opposition Leader’s Arrest
June 10, 2020
Armenia -- Prosperous Armena Party leader Gagik Tsarukian speaks to journalists
in parliament, Yerevan, .
The Armenian parliament voted on Tuesday to allow law-enforcement authorities to
arrest and prosecute the leader of its largest opposition group, Gagik
Tsarukian, on charges rejected by him as politically motivated.
Addressing the parliament controlled by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s My Step
bloc, Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian alleged that Tsarukian “created and led
an organized group” that bought more than 17,000 votes for his Prosperous
Armenia Party (BHK) during parliamentary elections held in April 2017. Davtian
said the NSS has collected documents and testimony showing that the vote bribes
were handed out to residents of the Gegharkunik province.
Tsarukian and other BHK lawmakers vehemently denied the accusations when they
spoke on the parliament floor before the first vote. They said that
law-enforcement authorities have not produced any evidence of his involvement in
the alleged vote buying.
They again claimed that Pashinian ordered the criminal proceedings in response
to Tsarukian’s demands for the entire Armenian government’s resignation voiced
on June 5.
Tsarukian stood by his claims that the government has failed to contain the
rapid spread of the coronavirus in the country and tackle severe socioeconomic
consequences of the deadly epidemic.
Armenia -- Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian urges lawmakers to allow the arrest
and prosecution of opposition leader Gagik Tsarukian, Yerevan, .
“The end of your revolution has come,” Tsarukian declared, referring to the 2018
protest movement that brought Pashinian to power.
“Eighty or ninety percent of the people believed in you and the revolution,” he
said. “But today even 5 percent do not believe.”
The BHK leader also said that he is undaunted by the prospect of his
imprisonment and will “go to the end” in challenging the authorities. He claimed
that with their “fabricated” criminal case they are only “making a hero” out of
him.
“This is temporary, [it will last for] only one or two months, not longer,” he
added in his angry speech. “You must understand this before it’s too late. You
are standing on the brink of an abyss.”
“Tsarukian and our party represent a considerable part of the people,” said
Arman Abovian, a senior BHK deputy. “You are at war with the people.”
Immediately after finishing his speech and leaving the parliament building,
Tsarukian was surrounded by NSS officers and taken to the NSS headquarters for
further questioning. BHK representatives said that the security service
illegally detained him before securing the parliament’s consent. Parliament
speaker Ararat Mirzoyan insisted, however, that Tsarukian was not detained.
The Bright Armenia Party (LHK), the other opposition force represented in the
parliament, also said that the accusations of vote buying are politically
motivated. Its leader, Edmon Marukian, dismissed as hypocritical Pashinian
allies’ harsh criticism of Tsarukian voiced since June 5.
Marukian argued that Pashinian repeatedly cut political deals with Tsarukian
following the 2018 “Velvet Revolution.” “You are not honest and sincere,” he
said, referring to the ruling bloc.
In his concluding remarks, Davtian insisted that the criminal case against the
opposition leader and wealthy businessman is a “purely legal process.” The chief
prosecutor said the NSS opened the case in February, more than three months
before Tsarukian lambasted the government in unusually strong terms.
Armenia -- Police detain a supporter of Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik
Tsarukian near the parliament building in Yerevan, .
Leaders of the parliament’s pro-government majority also denied any political
motives behind the crackdown. Mirzoyan said the opposition must not “politicize
the legal process.”
“Everyone is equal before the law regardless of whether or not they lead a
political party,” said the speaker close to Pashinian.
Both parliamentary opposition forces decided to boycott the ensuing separate
votes on lifting Tsarukian’s immunity from prosecution and allowing his arrest.
“We will not participate in this farce,” said Marukian.
As a result, only 87 of the 132 deputies of the National Assembly voted in the
secret ballot. They all backed the prosecutor’s demands.
Pashinian’s My Step controls 88 parliament seats. Two of its deputies were
absent from Tuesday’s session, suggesting that Tsarukian’s prosecution was
unanimously backed by the 86 other pro-government lawmakers.
The BHK holds 26 seats, having finished second in the last general elections
held in December 2018.
As the parliament began debating the matter in the morning the NSS announced
that it launched on Monday a separate investigation into other instances of
alleged vote buying by the BHK.
In a statement, the security service said that a senior BHK figure, Naira
Zohrabian, has repeatedly admitted in her private conversations that Tsarukian’s
party had paid Armenians to vote for it in various elections. The statement
contained a relevant quote attributed to Zohrabian. It did not specify whether
the NSS eavesdropped on the opposition politician’s conversations.
Zohrabian angrily denied these allegations. She suggested that her phones were
illegally tapped by the NSS.
Another Textile Plant Hit By Coronavirus Outbreak
June 10, 2020
• Karine Simonian
Armenia -- A textile factory in Vanadzor, June 3, 2020.
Yet another textile factory in Armenia has suspended its operations due to
coronavirus infections among its workers.
Robert Ghubatian, the owner of the Vanadzor-based Sarton factory, told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service that about two dozen of them tested positive for the
coronavirus on Sunday. Ghubatian said he and the 330 other workers self-isolated
as a result.
Ghubatian suggested that another textile plant located in Armenia’s third
largest city was the primary source of the infections.
The plant belonging to the Gloria company was shut down on June 3 after being
hit by a similar COVID-19 outbreak. At least 150 of its 2,600 workers have
tested positive for the virus since then.
Ghubatian said some 30 Sarton employees live with family members working at
Gloria. He said he believes at least one of them contracted the disease from
such a relative.
The Vanadzor police ordered all Gloria workers to quarantine at home following
the shutdown.Some of them said they were not warned that their family members
also have to self-isolate.
Gloria will remain closed at least until June 20.
Two other clothing manufactures located in Gyumri halted their operations for
the same reason last week. The Lentex and Svetex companies employ a total of
about 400 local residents.
These and other Armenian textile firms were allowed to resume their work in late
April following a month-long stoppage ordered by the government as part of a
nationwide lockdown. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on April 12 that the
textile industry should be able to reopen despite being “the main driving force”
of coronavirus infections in Armenia.
The daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the country has increased
dramatically since then.
The Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday morning 425 new infections, bringing
to 17,489 the total number of coronavirus cases in the country of about 3
million.
The ministry also reported the deaths of 10 more people infected with the
disease. It said 8 of those deaths were primarily caused by the coronavirus.
They were added to the official COVID-19 death toll which rose to 295.
According to the health authorities, 96 other infected people have died as a
result of other, pre-existing diseases.
Government Vows Tougher Measures Against COVID-19 Infections
June 10, 2020
• Marine Khachatrian
• Narine Ghalechian
Armenia -- A woman in Yerevan wears a protective mask and gloves, June 10, 2020.
The Armenian authorities will double the number of special teams enforcing
safety rules meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian said on Tuesday.
Pashinian said police officers will be joined by representatives of other state
bodies in ensuring that Armenians wear face masks, practice social distancing
and take other precautions against COVID-19.
“This will allow us to double the number of enforcement groups,” he told a daily
COVID-19 news briefing.
Early this month Armenian government made it mandatory for everyone to wear a
mask not only in all enclosed spaces but also in the streets and all other
public areas. Police say that thousands of citizens have since been fined 10,000
drams ($21) for failing to comply with this requirement which the government
says is essential for tackling the epidemic.
Pashinian announced that starting from Wednesday Armenians will also have to
carry passports or other IDs when leaving their homes. Failure to do so will be
punishable by separate 10,000-dram fines, he said, adding that the measure will
facilitate the enforcement of the mask requirement.
The Armenian Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday morning 425 new infections,
bringing to 17,489 the total number of coronavirus cases in the country of about
3 million.
The ministry also said that 8 more people died from the disease in the past 24
hours, raising the official death toll to 295. The figure does not include the
deaths of 96 other infected people. These fatalities were primarily caused by
other, pre-existing diseases, according to the health authorities.
The ministry spokeswoman, Alina Nikoghosian, put the number of active cases at
over 10,500. Nikoghosian said only around 2,500 of these patients are now
receiving treatment in hospitals. The others remain confined at home and
monitored by primary healthcare workers, she said.
Health Minister Arsen Torosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service on Monday that 231
infected persons in need of urgent treatment are now waiting to be hospitalized.
The government pledged last week to set up 350 new hospital beds to cope with
the growing number of patients. Torosian cautioned that increasing hospital
capacity alone will not address the problem. He stressed the importance of
lowering infection rates.
The minister was also concerned about the fact that 470 patients were in a
serious and 116 others in a critical condition as of Monday afternoon.
“The number is quite large,” he said. “Unfortunately the majority of the
citizens in a critical condition … are at serious risk of dying. But doctors are
doing everything to prevent that happening.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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