Armenian ministers welcome Football Federation Head’s refusing his deputy mandate

YEREVAN, July 4. /ARKA/. Armenian Ministers of Education, Health and Social Affairs welcomed the country’s Football Federation Head Ruben Hayrapetyan’s decision to refuse his deputy mandate, Novosti-Armenia reports. 

Yesterday on July 3 Ruben Hayrapetyan announced on refusing his deputy mandate as he felt a moral responsibility for what had happened in Harsnaqar restaurant on June 17.

On June 17 Mayor Vahe Avetyan, Head of Department of ENT at Yerevan Garrison Hospital, and two of his colleagues were brutally beaten at Harsnaqar restaurant, owned by Head of Armenian Football Federation Ruben Hayrapetyan. According to some media sources, Avetyan was beaten by Hayrapetyan’s bodyguards. Despite all the efforts made by the doctors Avetyan died without regaining consciousness at Central Clinical Hospital on June 29.

Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan said that Hayrapetyan’s decision shows that not everything “ is defined by a mandate and minister portfolio in this country”.

Health Minister Derenik Dumanyan, on his side, noted that Hayrapetyan took a right step.

“It shows that a civic society is really forming in Armenia, that should be taken into consideration,” Dumanyan added.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs made some short comments giving positive assessments to Hayrapetyan’s decision.

The incident with the death of the doctor raised a wide public resonance. Protests have taken place in Yerevan lately.

Influential Political Science Association of Armenia denounced violence demonstrated towards the officers of Armenian Armed Forces and called upon Hayrapetyan to stop his political activity.

Armenian internet community created a petition calling upon UEFA and FIFA to support Armenian Football Association Chief Ruben Hayrapetyan’s resignation of office.

The petition is stared on www.change.org website, and as of now over 1,200 individuals have signed it.

Protests are also expected to take place in Armenian communities abroad, particularly in Germany and the United States. -0-