Naira Zohrabyan calls on court not to carry out political order

ArmInfo. MP from Prosperous  Armenia faction Naira Zohrabyan called on the court not to carry out  a political order.

To recall, today the court is considering the petition of NSS on  choosing an  arrest  as a measure of restraint against Prosperous  Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan. Charges were brought against  him on the grounds of part 2 of Article 154.2 (bribing voters) of the  RA Criminal Code. "It's obvious that these persecutions began after  Tsarukyan made his famous statement (on June 5 he called for a change  in the composition of the government, ed. note). I hope that the  court will not carry out a political order, and the judge will be  guided exclusively by the Criminal Code>, Zohrabyan said on June 19  in an interview with reporters.

Earlier, the NSS issued a message that Zohrabyan was informed about  the distribution of election campaign bribes by the PAP. The lawmaker  herself considers these accusations unfounded, and, according to her,  a number of European parliamentarians and human rights activists are  ready to speak out in her favor. At the same time, Zohrabyan stated  that she personally asked them to refrain from public statements so  far. She also advised the authorities to wage war not against the  opposition, but against the coronavirus. As for the PAP's interaction  with other political forces and the signing of a cooperation  agreement, the lawmaker didn't give specific names, limiting herself  to the fact that they would not include politicians rejected by the  people. Zohrabyan also touched upon the boycott of the PAP of the  last parliamentary sessions. She recalled that the parliamentary  sessions were completed this week, and the issue of party  participation in extraordinary meetings will be discussed  additionally.

According to the NSS report, as part of the investigative measures,  information was received that state officials, through the organized  criminal mechanism, before and after the elections to the Council of  Elders of Yerevan, scheduled for May 14, 2017, persuade about 100-120  thousand RA citizens with the right to vote, temporarily leave their  places of registration and formally move to Yerevan in violation of  the requirements established by the legislation of the Republic of  Armenia and other legal acts, as well as using false documents. To  this end, citizens were persuaded through the provision of material  assistance or other illegal means. Further, having moved to Yerevan  and registered in various administrative districts of the capital,  which are not actually their temporary or permanent place of  residence, the abovementioned persons were included in the voters  list, and thus ensured the requisite amount of votes for the  elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan. Immediately after the  completion of the election, these persons were again transferred and  registered in real places of their residence.

In addition, evidence was obtained that members of the Prosperous  Armenia Party founded on April 30, 2004, participating in  parliamentary and local government elections held in different years  in the Republic of Armenia in order to secure votes for their party,  personally or through various intermediaries,  provided voters with  money, property or any advantage as a bribe.   A preliminary investigation in the criminal case obtained irrefutable  evidence that the lawmaker from the Prosperous Armenia Party, the  chairperson of the NA Standing Committee on Human Rights and Public  Affairs, Naira Zohrabyan, during conversations with like-minded  people, repeatedly recognized the fact that the Prosperous Party  Armenia> at the elections held in previous years, managed to secure  the required number of votes solely as a result of the distribution  of bribes to RA citizens.