“Sbantanotz” Oligarch Parliamentarian Resigns

We received word yesterday that Ruben Hayrapetyan resigned from parliament due to pressures from the people regarding the death of Vahe Ayetyan. This was bittersweet because it took the death of a military doctor to see an oligarch out of parliament. However this is a start to what can become a monumental movement in Armenia. The people spoke up and the impact was felt, further showing that Armenians want to be more involved in ensuring citizens rights are protected. It is exciting to know that I was part of that initial movement. I was present at the protest on Saturday that was organized by locals and saw a sea of people who were infuriated by what had happened.  I was moved by the number of people present.

Being from the United States, I take for granted our first amendment right to assemble; I know that if I’m passionate enough about a topic I can use this right, within the limits of the law, without fearing targeted persecution. By participating in the protest in Armenia, I felt uneasy because I didn’t know the laws and didn’t know how the police and security were going to react to the crowd. However protests and movements like this one help lay the framework for people to freely exercise their rights . I’m happy that I was able to be part of this movement.

Maral Mirzayan