16 September 2011, 19:00
An action of protest of relatives of victims of the events of March, 1, 2008, passed off in Yerevan
The relatives of ten victims of the events of March, 1, 2008, are indignant over the report of PACE Monitoring Committee "Activities of the Institutes of Democracy in Armenia". On September, 15, they held an action of protest near CE office in Armenia.
Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that announcement of a general amnesty this spring as well as the authorities' investigation of the death of ten citizens as a result of antigovernment demonstrations on March 1 and 2, 2008, was the reason for PACE to report closing down the case of the events of March.
In particular, point 11 of the report prepared by members of PACE Monitoring Committee John Prescott and Axel Fischer suggests to declare that the "page of the events of March, 2008, may be considered turned over".
The victims' relatives held an action of protest where they demanded "punishment for those who issued orders and other guilty persons". Alla Khachatryan, mother of Alik Khachatryan, one of those who perished during the events of March, 1, prepared a message to Chairman, co-authors of the report and members of Monitoring Committee of PACE, "ARMENIA Today" reports.
Manager of the Office Silvia Zehe had a meeting with the demonstrators. The victims' relatives handed the message to her. According to the demonstrators, Zehe explained them that the phrase about turning over the page of the events of March did not mean leaving all those guilty unpunished.
Silvia Zehe promised that the message would be delivered to the addressees and in a letter of her own she expressed her concern in connection with the problems the victims' relatives spoke about, "Novosti Armenia" reports.
