The chairman of NA “Heritage” faction Stepan Safaryan referring to the events of March 1, 2008, wrote in one of the discussions on Facebook social network, “As a participant of that many incidents of that day I will tell something that has never been published on media. On March 1, at 10:30a.m certain journalists called and told me that they were near Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s house, who was to give an interview at 11:00a.m, however the police near the house did not allow the journalists to enter the house. We were near the police “Kentron” district at the time when Vardges Gaspari, then a citizen with his child was brought. People were brought to the police station by buses. The three deputies, i.e. Vardan Khachatryan, Zaruhi Postanjyan and me, journalist and human rights watchdog Janna Aleqsanyan, one of my old friends from ANC Sona Muradyan rode to Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s house, demanded the policemen to open the road. The interview started. At 10:30 Anahit Bakhshyan gave me a call. She was trying alone to smooth the situation near the French Embassy. At the completion of the interview we approached Levon Ter Petrosyan and told him that we received a call from Anahit Bakhshyan and she told us that confrontation began near the embassy and the police hit the people. During the interview Levon Ter-Petrosyan had already been informed about that and he announced as well that the situation is intense at the embassy. I cite literally the dialogue between me and Levon Ter-Petrosyan which I will never be able to forget. “Mr. President, we go to the French Embassy to help Anahit Bakhshyan. People love and respect us, we will try to manage the situation, but since you are the leader, what message would you like to deliver to people?” Levon Ter-Petrosyan answered. “I don’t know the people gathered there. They are not my people. My chapter has not planned any gathering there. These may be just instigators. At the moment the members of my chapter are in an escape and I won’t say anything until my chapter is gathered.” After hearing the doubtful response “They are not my people” we went to the square disappointed. I understood that he avoids taking responsibility. While Vardan Khachatryan was negotiating with the police, we sent Armen Martirosyan and Larisa Alaverdyan to the police chief Hayk Harutyunyan. The latter did not receive them and they went to the deputy police chief Mahtesyan. As a result of negotiations between Alaverdyan Martirosyan and Mahtesyan as well as Vardan Khachatryan and Giziryan they agreed to withdraw the police forces. At that time I called Tigran Torosyan and asked him to come to the scene. I was told that he could not help. Then understanding that we were left alone and there was nobody to take responsibility for the situation, Anahit Bakhshyan and I went to the French Embassy asking for the reception with the ambassador. We were told that the ambassador was very busy. Then I called the former US deputy ambassador Steve Banks (the USA did not have an ambassador in Armenia yet) and asked for a reception. Anahit Bakhshyan and me went to the former US deputy ambassador, presented the situation telling him that nobody wanted to take the responsibility for the situation and the only hope was the mediation of the ambassadors in organizing negotiation between Kocharyan and Ter-Petrosyan. He told us that they would at once initiate it; we only had to persuade people to stay quiet and not give way to instigations”. Then it appeared suddenly that people were of Levon Ter Petrosyan’s and the message was the following. “Stay here till Levon Ter Petrosyan arrives”. It was told by the speakers of the rally which began after 03:00p.m. Thus this happened in the backstage where I was present and I said that Levon Ter-Petrosyan couldn’t have come and couldn’t have sent the people, who had won and cleared the square from the police the same evening, to their houses ( which I think would be the best solution, calling them to gather the next day). That’s not really true. That day everyone escaped responsibility. Of course I cannot say that Levon Ter-Petrosyan bears criminal responsibility for the 10 victims, but I think that he bears political responsibility as if it was obvious to me that blood was to be shed he should have definitely seen it. Consequently either he should have come or sent the people to their houses. I know that there will be much noise after what I’ve written but I’m ready to confront it”. In connection to S. Safaryan’s “deciphering”, the previous head of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s security, colonel Smbat Gasparyan made a responsive statement where the following is particularly mentioned : “ As an answer to the statement spread on “Facebook” by Stepan Safaryan as if after the press conference held at Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s place on March 1, 2008, he had a dialogue with Levon Ter-Petrosyan, I state that I met the group of the participants of the press conference myself, accompanied them to the house, was present during the whole process of the press conference and then after it accompanied the whole group of the participants out of the house. That is to say, after the press conference Levon Ter-Petrosyan didn’t have a conversation with any member of that group. Besides me Levon Ter-Petrosyan, my deputy Sargis Hovhannisyan were also present at the press conference and they can confirm what I said. And Levon Zurabyan came to Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s house at about 2 o’clock for the first time.”
