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A few minutes ago a warning call was received at Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office regarding pressures exerted against teachers, who want to leave for Istanbul to partake in a training course on “Teachers for democratization and peace building in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.”

“At this point, pressures are being exerted against the teachers on the part of Lori Regional Administration with a demand to refrain from participation in the training. Such a treatment is not only inadmissible, but it also shows the illiteracy of the Lori Regional Administration as well as the antidemocratic nature and conduct of a regional administration staff in a democratic country”, said the statement disseminated by the Organization.

Artur Nalbandyan, Governor of Lori region informed Panorama.am that he was on vacation at this writing.

“It doesn’t at all correspond to the reality. I am on vacation currently, but it is out of the question that I am not informed regarding this issue”, told Nalbandyan. According to him, if there is a pedagogue who wants to leave for Istanbul, naturally he wouldn’t go against his or her decision.

Minas Sayadyan, Head of the Department of Education, Culture and Sport at the Lori Regional Administration told in an interview with Panorama.am that he wasn’t aware exactly which school teacher wanted to leave for Istanbul and added that he had heard from the training course through the grapevine.

“I’ve heard this for the first time. Of course, I heard of such an intuitive, but I don’t know, who goes, and why. I didn’t go into details of it. No pressure has been or can be exerted against them. It is their choice, if they wish, let them go, who can go against their decision”, told the department head. According to Sayadyan, he couldn’t even venture to advise teachers on not going to Istanbul. “I will refrain from giving advice because department head’s advice can be perceived differently”, told Sayadyan.

www.panorama.am