28 January 2019, 10:06
Film "Case No. March 1" triggers outrage in Armenia
The film by the Russian journalist Roman Babayan "Case No. March 1" has raised criticism among relatives of those who perished in Armenia in those days; they treat it as an attempt to whitewash Robert Kocharyan's actions.
The mass riots in Yerevan began on March 1, 2008, after the dispersal of the oppositional rally, where Serzh Sargsyan was accused of falsifying the outcomes of the presidential election. Ten people perished in the riots; more than 250 others were injured. The new authorities of Armenia have regarded these events as an attempt to violently overthrow the constitutional order and initiated a criminal case.
The film "Case No. March 1" was screened on January 19 in the evening broadcast of the "Channel 5"; it is also available on the YouTube channel of the TV Channel on the Facebook page thereof.
Relatives of those who perished during the mass riots in Yerevan in 2008 have released a statement in connection with the film screening. It states that the aim of the film, built on lies, distortion of facts, fraud and demagogy, is to whitewash Robert Kocharyan, who is in charge and guilty for the atrocities committed on March 1 (a copy of the statement is available at the "Caucasian Knot").
The authors of the statement have treated the actions of the film team, which, under the pretext of disclosing the truth about repressions and killings, obtained eyewitnesses' testimonies by abusing their trust, as immoral.
"Our words and the words of several other participants of the film were edited in such a way that everything said was distorted; the sense was changed; and some important data was completely silenced," the statement says.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 27, 2019 at 03:11 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Tigran Petrosyan Source: CK correspondent
