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June 20, 2008 NCI Explores Armenian MPs as Political Prisoners
Yerevan—Today, the National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) convened a public hearing to examine the issue of Armenian parliament members as political prisoners and the legal basis for their imprisonment. The meeting brought together MPs, social and political activists, NGO officials, attorneys, analysts, and media representatives. In her intervention, Heritage Party MP and civil rights lawyer Zaruhi Postanjian looked at the Armenian prosecutor general’s recent petition to revoke the immunities of Parliamenterians Sasun Mikaelian, Miasnik Malkhasian, Hakob Hakobian, and Khachatur Sukiasian and to place them under arrest. Postanjian stated that the MPs were taken into custody unlawfully. She argued that the petition lacked substantial evidence. In her view, this formal request lacked any documentation proving that these parliament members would have hindered the preliminary investigation. “It was under these circumstances that the absolute majority of the National Assembly voted in favor of stripping these MPs of their immunity while the prosecutor general has not yet answered our question as to why our colleagues to the present are under arrest,” Postanjian noted.
The next speakers, legal defenders Arthur Atarbekian and Melania Arustamian, gave detailed accounts of the current investigation launched into the cases of their imprisoned clients, MPs Sasun Mikaelian, Miasnik Malkhasian, and Hakob Hakobian. They demonstrated with evidence that the relevant investigation was carried out with numerous violations of the law. Atarbekian and Arustamian also maintained that they will apply to each and every court of instance in the Republic and, if no result is achieved, they ultimately will submit a formal application to the European Court of Justice. In their turn, Armenia’s first Ombudswoman and current Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdian and Armen Harutiunian, respectively, reflected on the general background of this issue.
“If human rights and the freedom of citizens are not protected in a country, then it cannot truly become free and independent. Any unlawful measure taken against the citizen of Armenia hurts the citizen and damages the country’s standing,” Alaverdian stated. And according to Armen Harutiunian, the National Assembly’s taking away of the immunity of the aforementioned members of parliament raises numerous questions to which he has no answers. “If there are sufficient grounds for stripping those MPs of their immunity and keeping them under confinement, why then no judicial proceeding has been brought against them until now? And if there are no sufficient grounds, why are they currently in prison?” Harutiunian asked. He also added that his criticisms are for the benefit of Armenia and its international standing, and has the objective of helping the authorities to make sound judgments.
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