The Armenian government’s severe restrictions placed and formal persecutions carried out against the lawful activities of the Heritage Party have taken on a new “quality” ever since February 2011 The political environment in the country virtually rules out the holding of healthy discussions and debates without persecutions and fear. In 2006, a criminal case was launched in connection with the theft of information from the computer database at Heritage headquarters, but this case is suspended because, according to official explanation, it is impossible to expose the computer bandits. In 2007, Heritage MP Zaruhi Postanjyan was subjected to police brutality while distributing the party’s flyers. A criminal case was launched regarding this attack, but this case is suspended because, according to official explanation, it is impossible to expose the attackers. During the tragic events on 1 March 2008, Heritage MP Armen Martirosyan was stabbed. A criminal case was launched regarding this stabbing, but this case is suspended because, according to official explanation, it is impossible to expose the stabber. In 2010, the incumbent authorities, not being able to tolerate the harsh criticisms made by Heritage MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, who is a member of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), removed her from the main delegation, appointing her as an alternate delegate. And because of financial “insufficiency,” Mrs. Postanjyan will not be included in the Armenian delegation that will attend PACE’s upcoming session in Strasbourg and only after Mrs. Postanjyan’s protests they reviewed their illegal decision. In February 2011, the Heritage Party held several demonstrations in the Armenian towns of Vanadzor, Noyemberian, and Stepanavan joining to drivers’ protests struggling for their rights. And on 17 February in Giumri, Armenia’s second largest city, Heritage, by the assistance of the citizens and the media, and as a result of a 12-hour effort, prevailed over the criminal action by the police who had blocked the main avenue of Giumri. On 18 February 2011, the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office launched a criminal case against Zaruhi Postanjyan’s brother, Tigran Postanjyan. In actual fact, however, the authorities are “working” against Heritage also by way of taking a political hostage who has never been involved in politics, and who has two small children and a righteous and wholesome character. (The trumped up nature, the bizarre characteristics, and the flagrant violation of this criminal case launched against Tigran Postanjyan are explained in the attached “Letter of Information”). In 28 February 2011, the Heritage Party MPs Stiopa Safaryan and Zaruhi Postanjyan, who were expressing their support to the demonstration being held across Yerevan City Hall, together with the picketers were attacked by the law enforcement and the special detachment units. No police officer who had exerted illicit force and violated the MPs’ parliamentary immunity was brought to accounting. On 3 March 2011, the police, in blatant violation of the Armenian Constitution and the laws, prohibited the citizens from holding a protest rally in front of the Government Building. Despite the presence of many news reporters and again in violation of the parliamentary immunity of the Heritage MPs who were supporting the picket, the officers of the law used brute force and removed from the central part of Yerevan’s Republic Square the Heritage Party’s parliamentary faction members Anahit Bakhshyan, Zaruhi Postanjyan, Armen Martirosyan, and around twenty protesting citizens. In this maze Ms. Bakhshyan lost consciousness and subsequently medical assistance was rendered. On the very same day Heritage released a statement in connection with this crime, and to date no criminal case has been launched against this offense. Also on the same day the Police Department issued two statements whereby the police actions were deemed in keeping with the law, whereas the Heritage MPs were considered to be instigators. On 9 March, the Heritage Party submitted a report to the Special Investigation Service, the Prosecutor General, the Chief of Police, and the Ombudsman concerning this crime, and demanded that a criminal case be launched against all law-breaking police officers (The report is attached). On the same day, and only few hours after Heritage had submitted the “Report on Crime,” the Special Investigation Service posted on its official website an information with respect to the criminal case it had launched on 4 March, but which was made public only on 9 March. And according to that information, the grounds for this case were “the carrying out of non-life-threatening violation against the police at the Republic Square on 3 March.” Next, and along the lines of the criminal case which the Special Investigation Service had launched in connection with the “violation” against the police, and with a formal notification but without noting their status for this inquiry, the Service invited for questioning Armen Martirosyan and Zaruhi Postanjyan on 14 and 15 March respectively. On March 15 the Chairman of the Heritage Party’s board and the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia MP Raffi K. Hovannisian has started a hunger strike in Yerevan’s Liberty Square. The police officers deprived Mr. Hovannisian of his right of having necessary conditions for rest and health protection. It is already the ninth day that Mr. Hovannisian spends the hunger strike under the open sky as the police officers are forcibly banning to pitch a tent without any legal grounds. So, unable to deter Heritage from its democracy-paving path, the authorities who hold political prisoners have now begun to “work” against this party by way of taking political hostages, launching criminal cases against the protest demonstrations in which the Heritage MPs partake, and using them as Damocles’ Sword. The prompt surmounting of these challenges thrown at the democratic forces and the body politic of Armenia, as well as the true democrats of Europe, has become an immediate order of the day. We consider it necessary to remind that all the crimes committed especially in the past decade against the opposition activists, figures, and independent journalists—including the perpetrators of the ten murders on 1 March 2008—are not exposed up till now. I am hereby raising an alarm to you all with regard to these new and unprecedented violations, also expecting and requiring your relevant approach and assessment within the bounds of your power. Zaruhi Postanjyan Member of the PACE EPP/Armenia Styopa Safaryan Head of the opposition Heritage parliamentary faction