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On March 1, 2008 the RA authorities used brute force against its own people to suppress the peaceful assemblies of citizens who stood up against the frauds of February 19 presidential election results.

Having the political support of Russia’s authorities and including all of the force units, including criminal punitive squads and under the order of incumbent president Robert Kocharyan:

• Violence was exerted against the participants of peaceful sit-in strike held in Liberty square which were later continued throughout the whole territory of Yerevan and against other citizens.
• Not only the Police and internal troops were put to action, but also the subdivisions of the RA regular army were used accompanied by grave violations of the RA Constitution.
• An emergency regime in Yerevan was announced under illegal order, which was in fact applied throughout the whole territory of Armenia.
• Illegal searches were conducted in the apartments of citizens; hundreds of citizens were apprehended and subjected to interrogation.
• The illegally apprehended persons and arrestees were subjected to violence and tortures at the Police stations.
•  More than hundreds of political agents and activists were detained, convicted and imprisoned, including National Assembly MPs.
• Through illegal censorship the activities of non-governmental media outlets were hindered, as a result of which the right of the RA citizens to receive information was gravely violated.
• Firearms were applied against peaceful and unarmed citizens, which, according to the official statistics, entailed the death of 10 citizens.

Thus, through the use of illegal force and blood power seizure was implemented and Serzh Sargsyan’s presidency was forced upon the  RA citizens which was later re-confirmed in 2013 by the presidential elections falsified through abuse of administrative resources.

The RA Special Investigation Service has not yet interrogated Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan and the heads of force bodies, law-enforcers and their subdivisions used on March 1, 2008. No investigation was conducted under the demand of international agencies and regarding the facts revealed and recorded in the reports published by the fact-finding group created on March 1 under Serzh Sargsyan’s order. Neither explanations were taken, nor oligarchs were interrogated, whose guard squads were provided with military uniforms and which were included in the unleashed violent acts directed against citizens.

During the 6 years, despite numerous official claims and statements, Serzh Sargsyan’s staff failed to implement a single actual action towards the investigation of the crime of March 1 against humanity by evidently patronizing the perpetrators of the crime. Nobody has been subjected to liability until present.

Concealing of March 1 crimes entailed the outgrowing aggravation of political, economic, social crisis, growth of migration volume, corruption rise and failure of foreign policy.  The statement of Serzh Sargsyan issued on September 3, 2013 over joining the Customs Union headed by Vladimir Putin, who patronized and supported March 1 crime, served as a climax for the latter. The principle of rule of law, the implementation of the regular activities by democratic institutes and re-establishment of respect towards human dignity cannot be ensured in the Republic of Armenia without the legal assessment of March 1.

By condemning the crime committed against humanity on March 1, 2008 via this statement:

• We urge the RA citizens to display resolution and be demanding over the issue of subjecting the crime perpetrators, supporters and hiders to liability.
• We demand the consistency of international agencies to promote its effective investigation and to provide legal assessment to the crimes organized against human rights and democratic institutes.

“Asparez” Journalists’ Club

Transparency International Anti-corruption Center NGO

Civic consciousness NGO

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor

Armenian Committee for Solidarity with Maidan

February 28, 2014