Edward Sharmazanov: Shahen Harutyunyan called attention to his father's case and his appearance on the field said everything (video)
Vahe Enfiajyan, a lawmaker from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), neither approves nor condemns Shant Harutyunyan who invaded the pitch during a 2016 qualifier between Portugal and Armenia in Yerevan on June 13. “We should do our best to observe the best behaviour in our country so that our country's reputation and image do not suffer in the result,” he said. Shahen Harutyunyan, the son of imprisoned political leader Shant Harutyunyan, ran onto the field on Saturday holding a sign which read “Freedom for Shant Harutyunyan and other political prisoners in Armenia.” Republican lawmaker Karen Avagyan says the incident will not smear Armenia’s reputation as ‘we do not have political prisoners in Armenia.’ But foreign media, including several newspapers in Portugal and Washington Post, have already spoken about the incident. Karen Avagyan says Armenia need not be ashamed of these publications. “All countries have their embassies in Armenia and the embassies know everyone’s biography and they would have given their political assessments long ago…” Republican Edward Sharmazanov was at Republican Stadium on that day but he did not understand immediately what was happening on the pitch and why Shahen Harutyunyan should rush the world's best footballer of 2014 [Cristiano Ronaldo]. Sharmazanov says the best footballer for him is Henrik Mkhitaryan. Anyway, the Republican lawmaker watched security personnel chasing Shahen Harutyunyan the length of the field, unable to catch him until he was finally pinned down and taken away. “I am not a coach and I cannot say anything about the boy’s speed.” However, Sharmazanov says the boy was running in the field trying to call attention to the case of his jailed father and his action says everything.
