Details added (first version posted on 12:39)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:
Head of Armenian Intra-National Liberation Movement Vahan Martirosyan says his public and political work against Serzh Sargsyan's criminal regime and corruption in Armenia led to pressures on him by that country's government.
Martirosyan, who earlier asked Azerbaijan for a political asylum, made the remarks at a press conference in Baku on Sept. 18.
He also said Sargsyan's regime makes an enemy of Azerbaijan for its own gain and has brought Armenia's economy to a collapse.
"No one wants a resumption of war in Armenia. That would be the greatest tragedy for our two peoples," Martirosyan said, noting this would be beneficial to those who make profit from such a situation.
Martirosyan also said that in its current state Armenia's army is unable to fight back not only the Azerbaijani army "but also an army of a third African country."
He added that everyone in Armenia deviates from military service.
"There are many non-combat losses. Armenian army will be doomed to fail in case of a war," he said.
Martirosyan also said the Council of National Security of Armenia has a very strong pressure on citizens and can make them give any testimony.
He explained that this is why the Armenian athletes, who visited Azerbaijan, upon returning to Armenia, started telling lies about Azerbaijan.
"This is why the Armenian family that previously fled to Azerbaijan and then returned to Armenia, was telling nasty things about Azerbaijan," said Martirosyan.
He added that it was a matter of hours when he decided to flee from Armenia.
Martirosyan also said he didn't go for a peace with Sargsyan's people and for this reason several criminal cases were filed against him.
"No one will tell the truth about Sargsyan's criminal regime better than the Azerbaijani media," said Martirosyan. "This is one of the reasons why I am here."
"But I wasn't expecting a hundredth of the hospitality that I have met here. The attitude towards me is excellent, at the highest level. I think if the borders are opened, a huge stream of refugees from Armenia will rush to Azerbaijan," he said.
The opposition organization, led by Martirosyan, faced persecutions by Armenian government agencies and certain authorized persons in that country.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by SI