YEREVAN. – The entire leadership of police must be removed, and the negotiations with the authorities must advance based on a series of demands, says the letter of imprisoned member of the “Founding Parliament” Zhirayr Sefilian.

The letter says:

“Since I am not permitted to directly meet with “Sasna Tsrer” [an armed group – ed.] to clarify the position on their demands and I already know that the authorities do not make any reasonable steps to prevent bloodshed, while people should be aware of the content of negotiations, which I propose as a golden mean, here are the issues which, I think, can convince the guys to lay down arms.

To do this, I need to meet with them directly, and if the authorities have some concerns that I may not leave the territory of the regiment and will take the weapon, then I am ready to accept any demands of providing guarantees.  I have repeatedly said that I am ready to do everything for a peaceful and bloodless settlement of the conflict.

• to meet the following requirements, or the steps aimed at fulfilling them, will need a government of national trust – the process which is necessary to start as soon as possible. It will be mainly engaged in the implementation of the following issues.

Karabakh

– The overarching objective of this issues is to declare Artsakh within the borders prior to April 1, 2016, as an integral part of the Republic of Armenia and legally fix this reality. This is the acceptable threshold, which cannot be lower.

– Details on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, strategic and tactical ones, will be introduced if necessary.

Defence and security

Army

– Radically change the tactics of combat duty, with the main goal being to keep the defense of the borders of Armenia and Artsakh by less personnel.

– Exclude duty by conscripts. This service should be held solely by contractual military on a voluntary basis. Contract servicemen who do not have children should be prohibited from carrying on combat duty.

Police

– Changes in the entire police command. Chief of Police and all his deputies should be removed from the law enforcement system permanently, and have to be held accountable for their actions.  New Chief of Police should be a person outside the police system.

– The composition of the police should be significantly changed: instead of feeding units of mercenaries against the people, the personnel of these units must be allowed to join the contract service with higher salary in order to protect their homeland from external threats.

– New Chief of Police and his deputies should not have any relation to the events of March 1, 2008, as a reminder to everyone that it is impossible “to warm hands on people’s blood”, and everyone should be punished for it.

Defense and sovereignty

– It is necessary to immediately start negotiations to put an end to the control of Armenia’s borders by the Russian border units, posing a question about the rest of the contingent of the Russian Armed Forces in the future. External borders of Armenia have to be controlled solely by the armed forces and special services of Armenia.

– Russian border guards have to hand over to Armenia the resources for border control, including network intelligence and counterintelligence, because this would be possible.

• The release of all political prisoners. In particular:

• Hayk Kyureghyan, Shant Harutyunyan and others, Vladimir Avetisyan, Gevorg Safaryan. This list is not exhaustive. At the moment, I cannot remember all the names.

• In connection with the events of the last days (rallies in support of “Sasna Tsrer” group) – a measure of restraint of detainees needs to be changed, the trial on all the demands of justice must be ensured.

• It is necessary to stop all persecutions related to the latest developments.

• In addition to the issue of political prisoners, the government should seriously discuss and address the unprecedented and broad amnesty, given the limitations provided for by the constitution. Parole for life-termers must become a real possibility under the law.

• The power should be returned to the people

– The reform of the election law, in particular, an absolute availability of the lists signed by voters. These lists are a sign of the legitimacy of any government – the rule of law which did not exist under any regime since 1996. Without this evidence coming to power is an usurpation, and this is what we have been witnessing for twenty years.

Justice

• The government, judiciary and the legal system must remove all those having links to a) use of force on March 1 against the people and political imprisonments in the future. If they did so under the influence of any threat or coercion, they now must publicly explain in detail the circumstances, calling names and other data and publicly apologize; b) all those government officials who were involved in the violence in recent days must be brought to justice.

• Creation of a commission that will examine all cases on deprivation of property of citizens in the last decade, and will submit proposals for the restoration of justice.

I call on our people and the political parties to take these demands and to express them without leaving the burden on “Sasna Tsrer” only. The people will form the possibility of a legitimate extension of these requirements so that no one could try to put forward demands by force. “