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.