Searched Armenian MP Sukiasyan would not surrender

Khachatur Sukiasyan, a supporter of the off-the-parliament oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC) and a Deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia, who is searched by law enforcement bodies on charges of organizing the events on March 1, 2008, in Yerevan, has no plans to surrender to the authorities, as he believes that he committed no crime and is still under the parliamentary immunity.

MP Khachatur Sukiasyan made a statement, disseminated by his advocates Arthur Grigoryan and Aras Zakaryan, running, in particular as follows: "I don't think there's a person in Armenia able to prove my guilt or present a fact against me. I love my homeland, but I now suffer for promotion of human rights and defence of freedom, and for diligent fulfilment of my deputy's duties."

His advocates have also made a statement saying: "The process initiated by international agencies, in particular, by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has not yet reached its logic final. The adoption of the amnesty act by the authorities does not mean by itself and cannot be commented as a complete fulfilment of obligations before Sukiasyan and his colleagues. Sooner or later, the authorities will have to face the issue of a complete end to political prosecution of obviously innocent persons."

We remind you that the deputy was forced to go underground after the events on March 1, 2008.