YEREVAN. – The bill on compensation for damages caused to the lives or health of people during the events that occurred on March 1-2, 2008 in capital city Yerevan was to be submitted Thursday to the agenda of the Government of Armenia, and with the respective conclusion by the Ministry of Justice, Hraparak (Square) newspaper reported.

“There were rumors that the ministry will give a negative view, but yesterday it was not submitted to the government session.

“Justice Minister Artak Zeynalyan told us: ‘The persons behind [the bill; that is, National Assembly (NA) deputy speakers Alen Simonyan and Lena Nazaryan] have recalled it to edit the draft—taking into account the proposals presented by us.’

“He noted that it will be a law on assistance, not compensation, since the ‘NA is not authorized to give such authority to the executive power. The executive power is not authorized to enter the domain of the judicial power,’” Hraparak wrote.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.