24/02/2015 21:50
Pashinyan: Berdzor incident is a threat to NKR’s international reputation
The incident that took place in Berdzor on January 31 was a severe blow to Artsakh’s statehood, the deputy of Armenian National Congress (HAK) faction Nikol Pashinyan said in the Armenian parliament today.
In his words, the incident called into question the legitimacy of the Armenian parliamentary delegations’ statements in international organizations that there is democracy and rule of law in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR).
‘That incident endangered all our achievements since the start of the Karabakh movement. On February 6 of this year a delegation of the Armenian parliament went to Stepanakert to discuss the elimination of the Berdzor incident consequences. My position was and remains the same – those who used violence should be held criminally liable under the law of NKR. Besides, high-ranking officials of law-enforcement bodies should resign,” Pashinyan said.
He stressed that this position seems to have been perceived by the authorities of NKR, but strangely, no criminal case was opened, although 24 days have passed since the incident.
N. Pashinyan said that he would like to remind everyone that those who used violence against the participants of a peaceful procession of cars should be held criminally liable, while those guilty of negligence should be dismissed.
“It is not someone’s whim, but requirements of morality and NKR’s legislation. The authorities of Artsakh should realize that it is the only way to overcome the incident’s consequences. Unless we follow that path, the incident will become a problem and pose a threat to the international reputation of the NKR,” Nikol Pashinyan said.
As was reported, on January 31 Pre-parliament civil initiative was going to stage yet another protest against the current authorities by organizing a ‘procession of cars’ in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Yet information appeared soon about “a clash between protest participants and law enforcers of Artsakh”. Pre-parliament issued a statement saying that on January 31 “some unknown people in police cars” hindered actions of protesters not far from Berdzor. They used violence against protesters, inflicted injuries on them, broke their cameras and damaged cars.