Economy ministry: incident in Harsnakar restaurant unlikely to mar Armenia’s image

YEREVAN, July 4. /ARKA/. Mekhak Apresyan, chief of Armenian economy ministry’s unit in charge of tourism development, speaking Wednesday in Novosti International Press Center, expressed hope that the brutal incident in Harsnakar restaurant belonging to Armenian Football Federation President Ruben Hayrapetyan, where three military doctors were assaulted and severely beaten two weeks ago and one of them, Vahe Avetyan, 35, died in the hospital of fatal injuries, would not tarnish the country’s reputation. 

According to the information released by online sources, Avetyan has been beaten by Hayrapetyan’s bodyguards. 

“International practice has showed that tourism is very sensitive about various phenomena, such as instability in a region, diseases or martial law as well as regular incidents,” Apresyan said. “I hope this incident will not deter tourists from traveling to Armenia.”

On Tuesday, Ruben Hayrapetyan stepped down as a member of Armenia’s parliament, since he feels moral responsibility for the death of Avetyan. 

The incident has sparked public outcry either inside the country or outside of it. 

In recent days, civic activists staged a series of protest actions demanding to prosecute all those guilty of Avetyan’s death. 

Today protesters gathered outside the parliament building. Representatives of the National Assembly’s Zharangutiun (Heritage) and 

Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutiun factions joined today’s protest organized by the opposition Armenian National Congress bloc. 

Yesterday, the Armenian Association of Political Science issued a statement condemning violence against the military doctors and called on Hyrapetyan to stop his political activity. 

Armenia’s Internet community has submitted a petition to UEFA and FIFA urging these organizations to support their demand that Ruben Hayrapetyan resign as president of Armenian Football Federation. -0-