YEREVAN. – In a briefing with reporters Friday, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan reflected on the controversial article which BBC News Russian has run in connection with the criminal case into the tragic events that occurred in capital city Yerevan, in March 2008.

According to Avinyan, the BBC has not presented any documents in this article, but made a reference to the information obtained.

“In fact, the BBC doesn’t present any document, but rather makes a reference to the data it received, allegedly, from the SIS [the Special Investigation Service of Armenia],” the deputy PM stated. “[But] I don’t know to what extent they are accurate.”

Also, Avinyan advised to ask the law enforcement agencies on the other matters. 

BBC News Russian on Wednesday published an article on the 2008 post-election events in Armenia and the respective March 1 and 2 developments in Yerevan.

The news agency wrote that it had received an exclusive opportunity to get familiarized with the materials of the investigation into the aforesaid criminal case.

According to the documents which BBC has obtained, a group from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and led by General Samvel Karapetyan—a.k.a. Oganovsky, had fired shots on the demonstrators during the March 1 events.

Karapetyan has a witness status in the criminal case on charges of overthrowing constitutional order in March 2008.

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.