October 6, 2005

National Citizens’ Initiative Participates in Another Rally this Time Before the Attorney General’s Office of Armenia

Yerevan—The Civic Council Defending the Rights of Araik Zalian, Musa Serobian, and Razmik Sargisian, with the active participation of the National Citizens' Initiative (NCI), held a second demonstration to protest the illegal sentencing of the three servicemen. This time the demonstration took place across the Office of the Attorney General located at 5 Vazgen Sargisian Street. The protesters demanded an immediate end to the ongoing illegal actions, the reinstatement of the rights of these soldiers, and the transfer of the case from the jurisdiction of the Military Prosecutor's to the Attorney General's Office. The three servicemen on May 18, had been sentenced to a fifteen year prison term by the First Instance Court of the Syunik Region on the allegations that they had killed two fellow soldiers.

The number of participants had almost doubled from the September 27 demonstration. Among the participants were the relatives of the imprisoned, as well as the lawyers, the human rights advocates, and the representatives from a number of NGOs. They were holding banners that read “End Prohibitions” and “We do not want to become Next.” The demonstrators insisted that Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepian receive them to hear of their demands and to bar the Military Prosecutor's Office from this lawsuit.

However, a personnel member of the Attorney General's Office maintained that Hovsepian was on vacation, and instead the demonstrators were received by acting Attorney General Mnatsakan Sargisian. Legal defenders Zaruhi Postanjian and Stepan Voskanian, as well as Razmik Sargisian's mother Julieta Sargisian and Gohar Galstian, chairwoman of the “Power of Right and Law” NGO took part in the meeting. After the meeting, Zaruhi Postanjian informed reporters that there was no substantial progress reached. The absence of any tangible results notwithstanding, the picketers decided to continue their battle. Public hearings devoted to this matter are planned for the near future.

In the end, the participants to the rally yet again invited all those who are concerned with human right violations to take part in their upcoming events.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is a public non-profit association founded in December 2001 by Raffi K. Hovannisian, his colleagues, and fellow citizens with the purpose of realizing the rule of law and overall improvements in the state of the state, society, and public institutions. The National Citizens’ Initiative is guided by a Coordinating Council, which includes individual citizens and representatives of various public, scientific, and educational establishments. Five commissions on Law and State Administration, Socioeconomic Issues, Foreign Policy, Spiritual and Cultural Challenges, and the Youth constitute the vehicles for the Initiative’s work and outreach.

For further information, please call (3741) 27-16-00 or 27-00-03; fax (3741) 52-48-46; e-mail info@nci.am