WHY DID THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS USE FORCE
Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Oct 25 2007
Some of the participants of the rally, in Abovyan-Koryun crossroad,
on October 23 were taken to the police station. The reason was the
violation of the public order and their attempts to hinder the work
of the police.
Chief of Yerevan Police Department, Major-General Nerses Nazaryan
announced this yesterday. He said, editor-in-chief of "Haykakan
Jamanak" daily Nikol Pashinyan who was also brought to the police
station yesterday, has organized many demonstrations and rallies
before, but the police have never interfered in those demonstrations,
as the participants didn’t try to create conflict with the police.
" Yerevan Police-Patrol noticed that the group headed by Nikol
Pashinyan is rallying to Azatutyun Square by Mashtots avenue. At
first they didn’t interfere in this process, because according to law
it is allowed to hold a rally without informing the law enforcement
agencies if the number of the participants don’t exceed 100 people.
But when they reached Azatutyun Square, the number of the participants
was more than 100 and the demonstrators decided to make a round in
the city. They were told that it could hinder the traffic, infringe
public order, and create inconveniences, but the participants
ignored the remarks made by the police and continued their rally,"
N. Nazaryan said.
He said these warnings continued around 1 hour. During this period
the participants were throwing leaflets into the busses and the
balconies of the buildings, thus raising the dissatisfaction of the
citizens. After which, being oversensitive towards the remarks of the
police that was trying to put them in order they started to argue
with them, rudely violating public order, manifesting an evidently
disrespectful attitude towards the pedestrians, the drivers and the
police, by using bad language in the address of the police and the
authorities. Later they have used violence against the police and
tried to hinder their work.
N. Nazaryan said N. Pashinyan, Petros Makeyan, Tigran and Karen
Makeyans, Shogher Matevosyan had active participation in this
hooliganism, due to which four police officers suffered damages. By
the way Shogher Matevosyan was drunk.
Nikol Pashinyan and Petros Makeyan have been questioned as
suspects. The other three refused to give evidences. As a precautionary
measure they signed a document on not living the country. A criminal
case has been instituted. Forensic examination is in process, the
circumstances are being clarified, and the inquest is on.