Today marks 11th anniversary of March 1 tragic events

Armenia today is marking the anniversary of the tragic 2008 post-electoral events that led to the death of 10 citizens in the wake of violent clashes between  law enforcers and civilians.

A big crowd in Yerevan had taken to the streets to dispute the outcome of the February 19 presidential election. From February 20 until March 1, peaceful rallies and demonstrations were being conducted in Liberty Square under the leadership of first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan (who claimed to be the real winning candidate alleging vote-buying in favor of Serzh Sargsyan, the officially declared winner).   

Early in the morning on March 1, Interior Ministry troops, armed with clubs and electrocuters, assaulted the peaceful protesters - an estimated 700-1,000 people - in Liberty Square in an attempt to dispel the crowd.

Only months later eyewitness had to say in testimonies that the pro-government forces had planted weapons and grenades inside the tents of sleeping protesters in what was claimed to be an operation aimed to clear the protest site.

Out of the 10 reported victims, two, Hamlet Tadevosyan and Tigran Abgaryan, were police officers. The eight deceased civilians were Tigran Khachatryan, Zakar Hovhannisyan, Gor Kloyan, David Petrosyan, Armen Farmanyan, Samvel Harutyunyan, Grigor Gevorgyan and Hovhannes Hovhannisyan.

The violent clashes left an estimated 278 people (221 policemen and 57 civilians) with bodily injuries of different degrees, causing damage to the public transport in the capital, as well as to personal property.

The law enforcement authorities instituted 152 criminal cases, of which an estimated 117 were submitted to court. Hundreds were detained over charges of mass disorder (provoking violence, killings or arson, destroying or damaging property or organizing an armed resistance against a representatives of the authorities – Section 2, Article 225 of the Criminal Code of Armenia), public calls for coup or violent breach of the constitutional order (Article 301), violence against a representative of the authorities (Article 316), property seizure (Article 176), etc.   

All those convicted over the tragic events (including numerous political figures) were later released under amnesty (adopted by the National Assembly on June 18, 2009 and May 26, 2011). The prosecution helped reveal also witnesses who claimed that they had testified under psychological and physical pressure.

After the 2018 political transition that led to the formation of a new government, the proceeding, dubbed ‘March 1 Criminal Case’, reopened to level more criminal charges involving also former high-ranking officials, such as second President Robert Kocharyan (who had at the time had completed his second term in office). On July 26, he was summoned to the Special Investigative Service for interrogation as a witness but his status changed later the same day after the law enforcement agency charged him with overthrowing the constitutional order in collusion with a group of other individuals.

A peaceful procession will be conducted in Yerevan later today in commemoration of the victims.