POLICE IDENTIFY THE WOMAN WHO CLAIMED POLICE KILLED A BOY ON MARCH 1

ARMENPRESS
March 27, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenian law-enforcement authorities
announced Wednesday they established the identity of a woman who
claimed that security forces killed a 12 year-old boy when dispersing
supporters of ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian on Freedom Square in
the early hours of March 1.

Several local dailies published the photo of the woman for several
consecutive days asking Armenians to help reveal her identity.

In a statement yesterday the office of the prosecutor-general said
the woman is Laura Melkonian, a resident of the town of Martuni in
Gegharkunik province. The statement said the women was questioned as a
witness admitting to disseminating overtly false information on March 1
afternoon when demonstrators massed near the French embassy in Yerevan.

The statement further said the woman admitted that it was a provocation
designed by some people saying also she regrets doing it.

She told investigators that he heard some people who were near the
embassy saying that police officers killed a 12 year-old boy in the
morning. Then she took out an old shoe from a nearby garbage tank
and declared that it was the killed boy’s shoe.

"Following that some people took the shoe away, put it at the monument,
lit a candle and put flowers," she said, admitting that her claims had
had big effect on the people who became emotional and began swearing
at police officers.

"Now I understand that the rumor about the boy’s murder by police
was a provocation and I reiterated it unknowingly for which I regret
deeply,’ she was quoted as saying.