10.11.2005 - Source: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Opposition in parliament is represented by the Justice bloc ("Constitutional referendum 27 November 2005 - OSCE/ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report"") [#39059],  [ID 15451]

"The opposition in the Parliament is represented by the Justice Bloc, comprising some 10 parties led by the People’s Party of Armenia of Mr. Stephan Demirchyan, and the Party of National Unity led by Mr. Artashes Geghamyan."

Document(s): Open document

18.10.2004 - Source: International Crisis Group

Justice bloc leader Stepan Demirchian belongs to one of the country's most powerful political clans ("Armenia: Internal Instability Ahead") [#26458],  [ID 15497]

"The Demirchian family is one of the most powerful political clans, having been influential since the 1970s. Karen Demirchian led Soviet Armenia as the Communist Party First Secretary from the 1970s to 1990 and made a come-back in 1999 as speaker of Parliament. When he died in the 27 October 1999 shooting inside Parliament, his son Stepan took over as a key opposition leader. He now heads the Hayastantsi Zhoghovrdakan Kusaktsutyun (People's Party), and the Justice Bloc, an alliance of nine opposition parties. In the March 2003 Presidential elections, he secured 32.5 per cent, a result his supporters considered fraudulently low. More than a career politician, Demirchian, a former engineer, is a political symbol. An analyst describes him as "prone to compromises and quiet, which is a rare quality for an Armenian politician, yet his carefulness sometimes turns into indecisiveness". His supporters are mostly older people, former nomenklatura members, who feel nostalgia for the Soviet period associated with his father's rule."

Document(s): Open document

18.10.2004 - Source: International Crisis Group

Another key figure in the Justice bloc is Vazgen Manukian, leader of the Armenian National Movement ("Armenia: Internal Instability Ahead") [#26458],  [ID 15498]

"Another key figure in the Justice Bloc is Vazgen Manukian, a leader of the Karabakh Committee and the ANM. Trained as a mathematician, he was defence minister and prime minister in the first post-independence government of Ter-Petrosian, against whom he ran for president in 1996."

Document(s): Open document

27.07.2004 - Source: Council of Europe - Secretary General

In June 2004, the Justice bloc held 2 protest rallies in Yerevan ("Reports from the Council of Europe Field Offices and Other Outposts, June 2004 [SG/Inf(2004) 22]") [#33374],  [ID 15506]

"In June the United Armenian Opposition (“Justice” bloc, Republic party and Communist Party of Armenia) held two rallies in Yerevan – on 4 and 16 June – the first not authorised by Yerevan’s municipality and the second authorised. At the rally on 4 June, one of the leaders announced that the Opposition intended to hold continuous rallies, and they would stop only if a war for Karabagh started with Azerbaijan. In summer the Opposition will continue its meetings with voters, and at the end of August they will prepare an intensive schedule of activities for September and October.  "

Document(s): Open document

15.07.2004 - Source: Council of Europe - Secretary General

Justice bloc continued boycotting National Assembly and organising several protest rallies in Yerevan in May 2004 ("Reports from the Council of Europe Field Offices and Other Outposts, May 2004 [SG/Inf(2004) 20]") [#33376],  [ID 15507]

"In May, the opposition (Justice Bloc and National Unity) continued boycotting the activities of the National Assembly and organising rallies that took place on 4, 12, 14, 20 and 21 May in and outside Yerevan. Allegedly before each rally in Yerevan the roads to the capital city were blocked, and after each rally there were cases of people detained."

Document(s): Open document

02.06.2004 - Source: Council of Europe - Secretary General

Several protest rallies in April 2004 were joint actions between Justice bloc and National Unity Party ("Reports from the Council of Europe Field Offices and Other Outposts April 2004 [SG/Inf(2004) 16]") [#33377],  [ID 15508]

"Several public gatherings have been staged by the opposition, some of them followed by marches – 5, 9, 10, 12, 16, 21, 27 April. Some were staged only by the National Unity Party, but most were joint actions of the Justice Bloc and the National Unity Party. The number of participants varied greatly from one gathering to another. During these public events, leaders of the opposition called for the drafting of amendments to the law of referendum to be discussed by the Parliament and for the “resignation of the President”."

Document(s): Open document

13.04.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

Police forcibly broke up opposition protest rally which was co-organised by Justice bloc head Stepan Demirchian ("Government Forcibly Breaks Up Opposition Protest") [#21467],  [ID 15509]

"Police in Armenia used stun grenades and water cannon to disperse an opposition protest during the early hours of April 13 in Yerevan. In addition, authorities closed the offices of two leading opposition political parties involved in organizing the demonstration, which President Robert Kocharian said threatened the country’s "constitutional order." [...] One of the protest organizers, Stepan Demirchian, head of the Justice bloc and a bitter political foe of Kocharian’s, said the police action constituted a "crime" designed to "terrorize the population.""

Document(s): Open document

08.04.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Justice bloc accused of staging illegal demonstrations ("Political Tensions Grow") [#21242],  [ID 15529]

"The various opposition parties decided to boycott parliament, then put their differences aside to form a single bloc, which began to organise demonstrations across the country. After violence broke out at a protest in the country's second city Gumri, the prosecutor general's office accused the Justice Bloc of staging illegal demonstrations, insulting the authorities and seeking the "violent overthrow of government and change of the constitutional order in the Armenia", adding that criminal cases have been opened against those detained in Gumry. The Justice Bloc responded by declaring that "criminal cases have been opened against the whole nation". The official statement continued, "Meetings [we have held with] the population demonstrate that a change of power is inevitable in Armenia. [The authorities] are using illegal actions to try to block popular demands for Kocharian's resignation.""

Document(s): Open document

06.04.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

Supporters of Justice bloc arrested in the run up to protests; prosecutors launched criminal investigation in opposition's protest plans ("Armenian Authorities Carry Out Preemptive Roundup Of Opposition Activists") [#21465],  [ID 15531]

"According to representatives of the opposition alliance, which comprises the Justice bloc and the National Unity Party, at least 200 supporters have been arrested across Armenia since April 1. The government has rebuffed efforts by opposition leaders to obtain an explanation for the mass detentions. The opposition maintains the government has no probable cause to make the arrests. On March 31, the Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office announced that it was launching a criminal investigation into the opposition’s protest plans. Officials have denounced the opposition for striving to foment unrest in Armenia. According to a report by the Armenpress news agency, approximately 40 opposition members are facing criminal charges for "making public calls for a change in the constitutional order" of Armenia."

Document(s): Open document