An extraordinary session of the National Assembly was held on March 4.
Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, said that on the initiative of Mr. Robert Kocharyan, the President of the Republic of Armenia, the National Assembly convenes an extraordinary 
session having on its agenda only an issue: “On Petition of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia on involving the MPs Mr. Hakob Hakobyan, Mr. Myasnik Malkhasyan, Mr. Sasun Mikayelyan, Mr. Khachatur Sukiasyan as defendant and on permission of applying detention as restraint towards them.”
Mr. Tigran Torosyan said that according to the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly after receiving the petition the mentioned four deputies were sent summons about which informed them only Mr. Myasnik Malkhasyan and Mr. Hakob Hakobyan and the MPs Mr. Sasun Mikayelyan, Mr. Khachatur Sukiasyan are in escape therefore the summons are handed the members of their families.
Mr. Aghvan Hovsepyan, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, presented the petition on involving the MPs Mr. Hakob Hakobyan, Mr. Myasnik Malkhasyan, Mr. Sasun Mikayelyan, Mr. Khachatur Sukiasyan as accused and on giving agreement on their arrest. He noted that since 2008 February 20 Mr. Levon Теr-Petrosyan and proclaimed him elected president adherents and supporters in Liberty Square in Yerevan had organized illegal mass public events, hindering the everyday life of the country, road traffic, the normal activity of state institutions and the rest and calmness of the citizens, which continued 10 days, and during those days by the application of various drugs called for civil disobedience, infringement of normal activity of the state bodies, private enterprises and educational institutions, insubordination to legal requirements of law enforcement bodies were sounded which were associated with provocative speeches and statementsaccompanied with blackmail of the state servants who were carrying out protection of a social order.
The Prosecutor General also noted that the demonstrators were secretly armed with wooden truncheons and metal rods for using as weapons, also with inflammable and explosives subjects, illegal weapon and ammunition, preparing special fighting groups aiming provocative collisions with law enforcement bodies, showing resistance to the police, overcoming the natural intervention.
In order to neutralize the situation early in the morning on March 1st the police had undertaken operative action on withdrawal of these materials representing public danger, but the demonstrators violently attacked the officials carrying out their duties. The employees of the police managed to overcome the armed resistance. The mass disorders begun in Liberty Square were continued up to the avenue Grigor Lusavorich and the territory between the circus, Embassy of France, the Yerevan Municipality and the hotel "Metropol." Buildings of private and state property, cars were damaged. At least 160 persons were wounded, including 100 policemen and militaries. 8 people died.
Disorders were stopped only in the result of undertaken measures of the National Security and Armed Forces after declaring state of emergency in Yerevan by the decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia of March 1st , 2008.
On the fact of the event a criminal case is sued, preliminary investigation is carried out. The received proofs are sufficient
bases that the above-mentioned MPs participated in the disorders. The Prosecutor General noted that they had done dangerous acts, stipulated by the 3rd
part of the Article 225 and the 1st
part of Article 300 of Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. The MPs Mr. Hakob Hakobyan and Myasnik Malkhasyan assured that they could not have acted, hampering the security of our country. Their activities were exclusively of peaceful character, and their speeches, sounded in the meetings aimed to keep away the people from provocation and collision. They have expressed hope, that the investigation will reveal their innocence. Mr. Hakob Hakobyan also assured that he was ready to accept the detention as restraint if only the truth was triumphed.
6 MPs of the Heritage faction, including Mr. Raffi Hovhannisyan, head of the faction also took floor on the issue. According to their assessment, a prosecution is carried out towards the four MPs, and there is no sufficient basis for the Prosecutor's petition and some of them declared that they were ready to be detained.
In his extraordinary speech the President of the National Assembly Mr. Tigran Torosyan said:
"Dear colleagues, before turning over the issue in discussion I want to call on our colleagues to be careful and reserve, not to make irresponsible statements about the lost and dead people. If there are statements about the lost people they should be necessarily directed to the corresponding state bodies - for finding-out who are lost, to try to reveal and give exact answers. The MPs have great responsibility, I fully agree with you, but it is not the MPs who should deal with those issues. They can support, help, try to clarify, but it is very important the information to be presented to the relevant bodies, to specify and only after that make statements. The first step to be taken today is the reserved attitude towards the events taken place, even if the pain is very deep, really irresistible. It is so because there was a phenomenon, which is exclusive in the whole history of our newly independent country. Regrettable phenomenon, a severe and condemned phenomenon. Still about several statements sounded here. I do not want to give assessments to these statements - simply I want to hope, that it is a mistake when it is declared that it is important when the police colonel died - after the civil persons or before them.The person died, and he died for not to have more people die. Is it fair to give such a question? About the step taken by our colleague was already spoken. When we convened a special session here we did not have any information about the dead people. Unfortunately, the tragedy was much deeper, than it was possible even to realize during convening the special session. I consider an obvious speculation when it is said that the decree of the 
President of the Republic on state of emergency did not correspond to the situation and was not illegal. And what would have been happened then? Quite enough what already has happened. People died. Eight people, eight Armenian people died in the capital of Armenia. It was vandalism, which had never taken place before. I also told you last time that the decree was present, but there was also a big hope that we could escape similar situations and similar actions. And there was an attempt to delay that moment as far as it was possible. But after people died, after the massacre the state of emergency was really needed. Freedom, democracy, civil duty, etc. are really beautiful words. But speaking frankly I should say that today they are sounded completely in other plane and in other context and absolutely other impression is created - here there is no connection either with freedom or with democracy. Is it compatible with democracy and freedom when people are perished? When there are massacres when all are present, is this democracy and freedom? Unfortunately, there is also an embarrassment. People were talking more about what has happened, there was even declared that I have done this and the other another thing, which cannot be seen here. We do not assess those tragic hours today. Today completely another issue is presented. And the deviation of the issue I think is not justified at all. Dear colleagues, it is not either a competition here on what was said or what was not said. We do not assess here the phenomenon, taken place. It was given when we had special and extraordinary sessions. By the way, I want to remind that no one among the present 91 MPs, I mean all the factions in addition, presented a draft decision of the National Assembly on rejecting the decree on state of emergency of the President of the Republic of Armenia. This is the reality and I am sorry but it is not fit at least this day. Let us at least today take the steps, which are far away from the ordinary political deludes. Today only an issue is in discussion. It is discussed what position we should have towards the petition of the Prosecutor General. I should sincerely say I would have given everything for not to have such discussion in this hall. Not only because that I worked with those four people 9 years, and I do not talk about our other relations out of this hall. But there is one thing evident. It is what has happened. It is the tragedy, the pain that is present today. Moreover, it is the shame that is present today. Shame, which needs much time to be abolished. Shame that such a thing happened in our country. A thing, which absolutely has no connection either with elections or with political processes. The elections were, they are and will be. What connection has the elections with ferocity and the dead people? Is it possible to struggle for freedom of one's own view and for rights in such way? For those values there is not and was not such a struggle in the history of mankind. Right on the contrary. People, who really appreciate those values never admit similar ways and never take similar steps. If talking frankly, there happened a thing, which is absolutely beyond those political issues that were presented here. Of course, it is possible to say nice words, expressions and have emotional speeches, but today there is severe reality, and we should find a way out of it. It is said to put everything aside, to have dialogue and find solutions. The dialogue is not prohibited for anyone, right the contrary, calls were sounded for numerous dialogues. Unfortunately, they were categorically denied by some, and were forwarded conditions. Dialogues are for solving issues and not for dictating conditions. But I do not want to turn to it either. There is one important thing, that an awful event has taken place, and it is very important who were guilty for that, irrespective of the party belonging, position, influence - those people should answer for that, because no one has a reserved right for massacre or killing anyone in this city, and no dialogue can cure that wound. They should be punished. Saying this I do not mean our colleagues, the two of those are present and the two are absent. An impression is created as if we are at court and we decide whether our colleagues are guilty or not. Dear colleagues, we have no such authorities. Yes, the position of the MP is important, but we do not have the right to condemn or blame anyone. And we are not asked here to consider one as a criminal; it is the authority of the court. It is the investigation, and not me, which finds out whether anyone is guilty or not. I highly assess Mr. Hakob Hakobyan’s speech here and his announcement. And I remembered our late colleague Mr. Mushegh Movsisyan, when related to October 27 he said nearly the same words.We
should create an opportunity for what has happened to be fully revealed. This is the problem and I assess Mr. Hakob Hakobyan’s words this way, and they are words of a person having dignity. And I was really very glad when our colleague Mr. Mushegh Movsisyan returned, and it was clarified that he had not committed any crime, and we gladly accepted him and worked in this hall. We have only one problem, to create opportunities. The Prosecutor General has come with that proposal. To create opportunities for the investigation allows finding out what has taken place at that time. The problem is whether we do it or not. You know I should be sincere. The announcements that our colleagues are political prisoners, and that we are also ready … I am sorry, dear colleagues but I do not believe you. And a man declared that he will be the unique victim, and we saw who were the victims. This is the reality, and we are obliged to face that reality. Once again I want to emphasize and appreciate Mr. Hakob Hakobyan’s human and democratic statement that he is ready for the dentention being as restraint only they could find out the reality, and to have false announcements on freedom and democracy.”
In his final speech the Prosecutor General touched upon several issues, in particular, the issue of the adequacy of the activities of law enforcement bodies. As the Prosecutor General assured, the consequences would have been harder if the law enforcement bodies were not more tolerant, wiser and if they did not take relevant measures in the framework of their authorities. More tragic consequences were prevented said Mr. Aghvan Hovsepyan in his final speech. To the question of the deputies of the Heritage faction on obstacles related to the meeting with the arrested the Prosecutor General announced that those demands do not proceed from the law and from now on no meeting with the arrested will be permitted. Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, head of the accounting committee, presented the parliament the results of the voting. The votes were as follows: Mr. Khachatur Sukiasyan – 85 for, 22 against, Mr. Hakob Hakobyan – 84 for, 20 against, Mr. Myasnik Malkhasyan – 84 for, 22against, Mr. Mikaelyan Sasoun – 86 for, 20 against. Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly said that according to the results of the voting, the National Assembly endorsed the Petition of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia on involving the MPs Mr. Hakob Hakobyan, Mr. Myasnik Malkhasyan, Mr. Sasun Mikayelyan, Mr. Khachatur Sukiasyan as defendant and on permission of applying detention as restraint towards them.
The extraordinary session of the National Assembly finished its work.
