Yesterday evening around 9:00 P.M. chairman of the NGO Armenian Center of Parliamentarism Anahit Sargsyan and her daughter were subjected to an assault. "In the yard of our building I and my daughter were subjected to an assault that was accompanied with weapon threats. It's only by a lucky chance that we managed to come out of the assault unharmed,' says the NGO head in the statement released today. 

"I want to remind that my applications and statements to the authorities, including law enforcing bodies, that due to my observer's activities my and my children's safety is endangered, were left unanswered."       

Anahit Sargsyan was accomplishing observing mission at 10^th electoral district during the 2010 January 10 by-elections to the National Assembly.  

In her words two young men, one tall, the other of middle height, came out behind the garages and approached them near the entrance of their building. 

Sargsyan tells that one of the young men, the one with a hat, has told her: "Haven't we told you to behave yourself? Now you'll pay for it." Then he put his hand "on the butt of his pistol and pointed it at my belly."   

"My daughter started making nervous sounds. My husband, who was coming to meet us, directed the light on them, and they ran away," Sargsyan said. In her words the incident is connected with her observing mission at the elections and her announcements about violations.  

After the elections Armenian Center of Parliamentarism presented an interim report on post-election developments where it gave a negative estimate to the National Assembly by-elections at the 10^th electoral district. 

Observers announced that voting was accompanied not only by gross violations of requirements of Election Code but also "by undisguised criminal infringements against implementation of citizens' election rights".

Ara Simonyan, a candidate from the National Unity party, won the National Assembly by-elections.

His rival Nikol Pashinyan, detained chief editor of "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily, is challenging election results at the Constitutional Court demanding to annul them. 

In observer's opinion, The Constitutional Court too violated the law appointing the date for considering the appeal later than stipulated by law. The Constitutional Court plans to consider the appeal on March 5.

Sargsyan is not going to turn to law enforcing bodies because the previous time, in December 2009, when she had received a letter with threats, she turned to the police but they, in her opinion, did not take any necessary steps.

"I announce that this assault is the consequence of reprehensible inaction of authorities, and all the responsibility is on the ruling regime whose passive attitude contributes to spread of atmosphere of fear and violence in the country and complete elimination of population's trust in elections," the statement says.