MP Ruben Hayrapetyan declared yesterday evening that he is givinh up his seat in Armenia’s National Assembly out of a sense of “moral responsibility” he feels over the June 17 beating of military physicians at the Harsnakar Restaurant he owns on the outskirts of Yerevan.

The army officers were beaten by restaurant employees and a personal bodyguard of Hayrapetyan. One of the physicians, Vahe Avetyan, never regained consciousness and died in hospital a few days ago.

“I would give everything to have been there on that terrible evening and stopped the tragedy with my own hands. I would give everything to be able to turn the clock back. But I can’t,” Hayrapetyan states in his public resignation from the parliament.

The move comes after a wave of public protest, both in the streets and on te internet, charging Hayrapetyan with creating an environment in which such a savage attack was possible and demanding that he resign.

There is an on-line petition calling on UEFA and FIFA to call for Hayrapetyan’s resignation as the president of Armenia’s Football Federation.

“I should have prevented such a tragedy but wasn’t able to.  Such incidents should not be possible in establishments owned by myself and my family members. I cannot forgive myself and do not know how to ask forgiveness from others,” Hayrapetyan’s statement reads.

Hayrapetyan then goes on to ask forgiveness of those who voted for him in last month’s parliamentary election since he can no longer justify their expectations.