Minister: no political implication behind extension of martial law in Armenia

YEREVAN, February 11. /ARKA/. Armenian Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan declined on Wednesday allegations that the government's decision to extend the martial law, declared following the Azerbaijan's aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, 2020, had political implications.

Speaking in the parliament he said the martial law will be lifted once the grounds that prompted its declaration are no longer there.

"From the moment when the grounds for maintaining martial law, which is associated with a safe environment, are no longer there, the martial law will be lifted by the government. There is no political implications here," he said.

On November 26, 2020 the National Assembly dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's My Step bloc, voted down a motion proposed by the opposition Bright Armenia party to end the martial law.

Government officials and parliament majority leaders claimed that martial law was needed for redeployment of Armenian army units along Armenia’s border with four districts handed over to Azerbaijan as a result of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

December 2, the government lifted a set of restrictions on civil liberties, such as organization or participation in rallies and strikes, as well as a special regime of entry and exit from the territory of the country. -0-