On February 4 in Artashat (Ararat region), during a meeting of RA presidency
candidate Aram Karapetian with the voters, an assault on the head of his campaign
staff, RA National Assembly deputy, former Chief Editor and currently member
of the Editorial Board of “Iravunk” newspaper Hayk Babukhanian was
made. The unknown offenders attempted to interrupt the speech of Hayk Babukhanian,
who was opening the meeting, poured insulting remarks and threats to the address
of the organizers, called to get away. As the eye witnesses testify, when the
crowd started moving forth on Babukhanian, he made several forewarning shots
with his organic gun. This, however, did not stop the offenders. During the
fight that ensued Babukhanian was injured and got a knife wound in his chest.
He was delivered to one of the hospitals in Yerevan, receiving the necessary
medical assistance. However, the health condition of Hayk Babukhanian continues
to remain alarming. During the incident two other representatives of the campaign
staff of Aram Karapetian were injured, too.
The statement of RA presidency candidate Aram Karapetian’s campaign staff places
the guilt for the organization of the incident on the acting authorities of
Armenia, and the occurrence itself is qualified “as a display of state
terrorism”. The statement notes that numerous representatives of law-and-order
bodies were the eye-witnesses of the occurrence, however they took no steps
to put an end to the disorder. The campaign staff demanded that everyone to
blame for the incident be punished, a number of officials of the country and
the region be dismissed. “Otherwise we reserve a right to think the President
in office to be a direct participant in the crime”, the statement of the
staff says.
On the same day, on February 4, RA President Robert Kocharian made statement,
which says, in particular: “I strongly condemn and think unacceptable any
attempts to make the pre-election campaign a squabble, fight and violence.”
The President called on all the candidates and their supporters “to continue
the civilized struggle, prevent provocation”. Robert Kocharian also promised
that those responsible for the incident will be punished.
The RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, the RA National Assembly Speaker
Armen Khachatrian, parliamentary groups and factions, presidency candidates
and their campaign staffs expressed their indignation at the occurrence, too.
On February 5 the RA Central Electoral Commission made a condemning statement
on the incident, announcing that “the law and order bodies in this case
did not behave professionally adequate”.
OSCE/ODIHR observers mission, on their part, voiced strong condemnation of
the assault on Hayk Babukhanian, noting that they “will study all the circumstances
of the occurrence thoroughly”.
On the fact of incident in Artashat RA General Prosecutor’s Office instituted
criminal proceedings on Article 133 of the RA Criminal Code – “Hindrance
of the Implementation of the Elective Right, the Execution of the Authorities
of Electoral Commissions and the Individuals, Participating in Elections”.
Notably, on the same February 4 in Ararat region, village of Verin Artashat,
the pre-elective rally of another presidency candidate, the leader of the National
Democratic Union Vazgen Manukian was disrupted. The campaign staff of Vazgen
Manukian was induced to cancel the meeting with voters, since the representatives
of the village administration announced they cannot assume responsibility for
the possible consequences of the rally.
