Artur Sakunts: “The April war should make subject of parliamentary hearings”
17:34, August 31, 2016 | News, Other news
Within July 17-31, as ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group kept under its control Erebuni patrol and guard service regiment in Yerevan, there were obvious cases of violence against RA citizens and journalists. The ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group members are still kept in custody; they have health problems.
Now as some time has passed after the incidents above, we think that the competent committees of the RA National Assembly should hold hearings to be attended by responsible officials and human rights activists and make the incidents above the subject of a public debate, so that impunity is further ruled out.
Article 32 of the Law ‘Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly’ prescribes as follows: “At least once in each regular session, committees shall organize parliamentary hearings on issues related to their areas, notifying thereof the Chairperson of the National Assembly.”
The cell phone of Koryun Nahapetyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs, was off and we couldn’t learn whether the NA intended to hold any parliamentary hearings after it began its next-in-turn session.
In response to our question, human rights activist Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, who attends the parliamentary hearings, said, “The armed actions of ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group cannot make subject of parliamentary hearings by the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs. Instead, the study into the death circumstances of the military servicemen perished in the April war, namely the omissions of the Defense Ministry can make subject of parliamentary hearings. We need to discuss the causes of so many casualties.”
As for examination of the evidence of violence against journalists and RA citizens during the protest of ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group, Artur Sakunts mentioned that parliamentary hearings on those issues should be held by NA Standing Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs. “Such hearings should cover not only the violence against the peaceful protestors and journalists during the protest of ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group, but also the violent actions committed during ‘Electric Yerevan’ protests last year. All these issues should make subject of public hearings”, Artur Sakunts believes.
We also sought the opinion of Elinar Vardanyan, Chairperson of the NA Standing Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs, on the need for any parliamentary hearings, but she did not answer our phone calls.