ARMENIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM POLITICAL PARTY OFFICES http://www.armeniadiaspora.com/ADC/news.asp?id=1768

Opposition Leader Protests Prosecutor's Stance on Illegalities against His Party

Yerevan, November 14, 2006, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Astghik Bedevian - A major opposition party wants the Prosecutor-General to institute a criminal case over what it sees as repeated illegal actions aimed against its activities.

Together with several fellow partisans the leader of the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party Raffi Hovannisian protested near the Prosecutor-General's Office on Tuesday demanding a reply to the action the party filed more than a month ago.

"On March 4, they illegally entered our office and we were locked out. Four days later, at midnight, they entered the office and stole ourcomputer network and all our internal information from databases. We demand that a case be brought for the illegal closure of our office and the stealing," Hovannisian said, adding that pressures are already being put on some of the most active members of the party.

He claimed that the actions connected with the office closure and their eviction had been directly orchestrated from the presidential palace. "I think the truth will be revealed if there is an unbiased, comprehensive and normal investigation," Hovannisian said.

Hovannisian says the pressure is the result of authorities' fear that Heritage may prove a major opponent in next year's election.

"Today, we have to do with a crime that has grounds for impeachment. Names are not important, what's important is that the institution of the president of the Republic of Armenia has allowed a chain of illegalities that go far beyond the framework of the constitution."

Computers from the Heritage office were taken for police expertise after the party reported the trespassing.

Zaruhi Postanjian, a Heritage lawyer, says: "The expertise found that the computers had been tampered with, monitors of unknown types had been connected to them and some of the information had been subjected to modification. We think that to have these findings and not to institute a criminal case is illegal."

The Prosecutor-General replied that a new probe should be made and only after that will it be decided whether to institute a criminal case or not.