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Armenian Party Outlawed

YEREVAN, Armenia -- Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian went on national television Wednesday night to announce he was suspending the activities of an influential traditionalist party.


Ter-Petrosian accused the leadership of Dashnak Tsutyun of involvement in a series of political murders, including the assassination of ex-Yerevan Mayor Ambartsum Galstyan earlier this month. He also charged the party with active involvement in drug trafficking.


"They have established a drug route from Lebanon to Yerevan, Moscow and then to Europe,'' Ter-Petrosian said.


Dashnak Tsutyun, established a century ago, has been active in the Armenian diaspora all over the world and has massive support, though it declines to say how many members it has.


The party has repeatedly blamed Ter-Petrosian for the failure to render sufficient support to Nagorno-Karabakh. The disputed enclave, located inside Azerbaijan but populated by Armenians, has been fighting for independence since 1988.


Azerbaijani officials have accused Armenia of sending troops and weapons to Nagorno-Karabakh, charges Armenia denies.

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