THREE POLICEMEN SUFFERED IN YESTERDAY’S SCUFFLE OF MEETING PARTICIPANTS WITH LAW MACHINERY
Arminfo News Agency
2007-05-10 18:51:00
Three policemen suffered in yesterday’s scuffle of participants of
the meeting of several oppositional parties of Armenia with the law
machinery, the first deputy Head of RA Police, Lieutenant-General
Ararat Makhtesyan said at today’s press-conference. To recall,
the meeting, organized by the "Republic" and "New Times" parties
and the "Impeachment" bloc, was held in the evening in the square
near Matenadaran.
According to Ararat Makhtesyan, the indicated parties had appealed to
the Mayor’s Hall at the end of April with request to allow a meeting
in the Freedom Square. However, in view of May 9 festive events in
Yerevan, including in the Freedom Square, it was proposed to hold
the meeting near Matenadaran.
Makhtesyan emphasized that only a meeting but not a procession was
allowed.
According to the meeting participants, they required to set free
recently detained ex-Head of RA MIA Alexander Arzumanyan, suspected
of money-laundering. As Makhtesyan said, no demands were made to the
law machinery. Head of the "Impeachment" bloc and editor-in-chief
of the "Haikakan Zhamanak" newspaper Nikol Pashinyan together with
several associates broke through the row of policemen and rushed to
the doors of NSS. In the opinion of A. Makhtesyan, it provoked clash
of the meeting participants with the policemen, during which three
policemen received physical injuries. The policemen took measures
to recover the public order. However, the General did not specify
them. The Prosecutor’s Office of the Center and Nork-Marash Yerevan
communities is preparing the materials on the incident. Asked if it
was necessary to use the tear-gas, A. Makhtesyan said it has not yet
been clarified who applied it.
According to him, the gas was aimed just against the policemen. In
conclusion, the General said: "The operative situation in the capital
is under full control, everything will be done within the frames
of the law to keep the rights of citizens, assure the public order
and prevent any displays of law-breaking . Decisive measures will be
taken with respect to those who try to destabilize the situation and
the disturbers will subject to liability".