Monday, June 15 2020 11:17

ArmInfo.  We are determined to  continue our just struggle, faithful to the letter and spirit of the  law. This is stated in the statement of the Prosperous Armenia Party.   Calling the latest events "legal terror" of the authorities, the  party says that it regards this as a response to the recent speech of  the PAP chairman Gagik Tsarukyan, in which he noted the urgent  problems facing the country and the need to change of the government.  <Having failed the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, realizing  that serious social problems are just around the corner, the RA  authorities have adopted a policy to silence opponents at any cost.  It  is in vein and this path leads to new risks. Authorities avoid  perceiving reality correctly, accepting their failures and finding  solutions in a climate of social consensus.  The Prosperous Armenia  Party reaffirms its determination by all civilized and legal means to  fight for the interests of our state and people, not to back down in  any way against illegal pressure. We are determined to continue our  just struggle, faithful to the letter and spirit of the law>, the PAP  notes.

Heritage party also disseminated its statement regarding the events  connected with the searches and interrogation of Tsarukyan. <The  internal political stability of the Republic of Armenia in the  conditions of an epidemic and a state of emergency is of absolute  value. The Heritage party expresses its concern about the tense  relations between the authorities and the parliamentary power of  Armenia, in which, unfortunately, law enforcement officials are  involved, using unlawful force against MPs, PAP supporters and even  random citizens. All the charges raised in the initiated criminal  cases - from tax evasion to the distribution of election bribes in  2017 - should be considered and resolved exclusively in the legal  framework, and answers to political charges should be voiced only at  the political level. Otherwise, Armenia may find itself in a  situation of personal and political repression, civil clashes, fear  and intolerance, which is unacceptable>, the party notes.   To recall, in the morning of June 14 searches were carried out in the   house of Tsarukyan. Then he went to the NSS for questioning. By  chance or not, the former Chairman of the Control  Chamber Ishkhan  Zakaryan, who was in close relations with Gagik Tsarukyan, was also  summoned to the NSS. Tsarukyan called the developments political  persecution, meanwhile, the NSS reported three criminal cases  involving the politician. So, according to the investigation, the  leadership and other members of the Prosperous Armenia party  distributed hundreds of millions of drams of election bribes in 2017  in accordance with well- developed schemes, and this was done under  the pretext of charity.

In another case, Tsarukyan's companies were involved in the  organization of the casino's illegal activities, resulting in damage  to the state of $ 60 million. Another criminal case concerns a  company associated with Tsarukyan, which illegally appropriated land,  and the state suffered damage of 342 million drams (about 685  thousand dollars). Yesterday, after calling Tsarukyan for  questioning, a number of his supporters took to the streets and made  attempts to block the movement. In respect of 252 persons,  administrative detention was applied.