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Referring to those incidents in his speech delivered to a number of political and cultural figures, Serzh Sargsyan used several times the word ‘terrorism’. Does now Serzh Sargsyan, unlike the NSS, consider ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group terrorists? That article is not covered in the initiated criminal case, is it? “I wouldn’t be surprised if that article is added during the preliminary investigation, it’s in their hands”, says Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor.

According to him, the most severe and the harshest sentences will be imposed on the members of the group. “S. Sargsyan has already made a political decision; there is no article on terrorism in the case, but he gives such a qualification. Likewise, in the case of Shant Harutyunyan, when the trial was still in progress, he gave a verdict in the United States that they were guilty and had committed a crime. Now, the case is still under preliminary investigation, but he has already issued the verdict”, A. Sakunts said.

As for a general opinion on the yesterday’s speech of S. Sargsyan, he considered it a winner’s speech. “It is noteworthy that unlike his first speech on seizure of the patrol-guard service regiment as he did not know what to say, this speech sounds rather like the speech of a military commander who won a victory without knowing beforehand what the outcome would be. Now he seems to rest on the winner’s laurels. But throughout his whole speech, he did not absolutely touch upon the large-scale violence against the civilians and only refereed to the violence against the journalists. Perhaps, he gives more importance to the media as a means, pardon me, to use for his own purposes or to shape the public opinion. But the speech contained not a single word on the public opinion holders, who suffered physical violence, were deprived of liberty without any grounds and were apprehended.”

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