The police arrested yesterday 15 persons: 2 of them are party leaders, 2 are editors-in-chief, 2 are under age. Three of them are injured.
The witnesses’ evidence
Since the TV Companies of Armenia refuse of announcing about the mass meeting which will be held on 26 October in the Square of Independence, the members of “Alternative” initiative tried yesterday to inform the population about that mass meeting with the help of procession. The participants of peaceful procession, announcing the day and time of the mass meeting, were inviting the citizens to participate in it. This is what happened during 18:30-19:00. The member of “Alternative” Manuk Sukiasyan said: “ A policeman in civilian clothes came to us on Teryan Street and demanded to stop the procession. Then Deputy head of City department of the police Sashik Afyan came to us near “Urartu” shop and also demanded to stop the procession, not wanting to listen to any explanation.”
Another member of “Alternative” initiative Hrant Ter-Abrahamyan told: “The policemen demanded to give them the microphone. Certainly we showed the law about meetings and processions and demanded to show us the item of the law according to which it is not allowed to hold a procession with a microphone. Our conversation lasted 20-30 minutes. They didn’t present us the item of the law which would legalize their demand.
An impolite conversation was launched, one of the policemen cried” I am the law here”. People gathered round us, and the policemen used tear gas and arrested whom they managed to arrest. I saw how Shogher Matevosyan, Editor-in-chief of “Chorrord Ishkhanutiun” newspaper was being beaten and carried to the car.”
Correspondent of the same newspaper Gohar Veziryan was also used violence, she told us: “I saw how Manuk Sukiasyan was being beaten. I approached them thinking that they would stop beating Manuk seeing a woman. But the policemen delivered blows at my ear and somebody pushed me.
Manuk Sukiasyan told: Gohar and Shogher prevented my arrest”.
The police arrested in particular editor-in-chief of “Haykakan Jamanak” newspaper Nikol Pashinyan, editor-in-chief of “Chorrord Ishkhanutiun” newspaper Shogher Matevosyan, leader of “Democratic homeland” Petros Makeyan and his son Tigran, leader of Conservative Party Mikael Hayrapetyan, member of “Alternative” initiative David Matevosyan and his son.
Obstacles towards the advocates
About 100 citizens gathered round the police station of Kentron Community where the arrested persons had been brought. Advocate Tigran Ter-Yesayan, the head of “Forum” law center was one of the first persons who entered the Police station trying to find out what ha happened to the arrested persons. “It was impossible to find out the reason of arrests and how many people have been arrested. They didn’t manage to explain since they weren’t authorized to make a declaration and the reasons were absent. Member of “Heritage” faction Larisa Alaverdyan came here at 21:00 who was negotiating with the policemen to enter. She was told that the head of the section was busy and was not able to meet her. “ Constitutional order demands that the parliamentarian should be allowed to enter. You impede parliamentarian’s free entrance to a state body,”- Larisa Alaverdyan warned for many times. After long negotiations Larisa Alaverdyan managed to enter, other deputies, Khachatur Sukiasyan, Zaruhi Postanjyan and others also entered the police station. Zaruhi Postanjyan told us after: “ I can’t say the exact number of arrested persons but they are more than ten. There is no decision of arrest, as well as any written document which will explain the reason of being kept at the police station.”
Defender of Human Rights Armen Harutiunyan also came to the police station at 21: 45.
Meeting in front of police station
People gathered in front of the police station were crying from time to time “ Independence”, “Struggle, and struggle till the end”. The dwellers of near building joined them crying: “We join”.
A lorry full of soldiers stopped near the police station. ANM administration chairman Ararat Zurabyan declared on that occasion: “ We demand any kind of explanation about the status of our friends. The authorities don’t give any answer, and soldiers have appeared instead. We will wait unless everything is found out, and we will leave after. The authorities will be responsible for each kind of slander”.
Stepan Demirchyan came here at 23:15, Levon Ter-Petrosyan came at 23:30. The latter entered the police station, and after ten minutes came out and said to the gathered citizens: “People, calm down, everything will be clear soon.” Then he entered again. Babken Ararktsyan said by microphone at 1 am that the arrested citizens would be set free soon. The policemen had informed about it. But he also summoned the gathered citizens not to go home since he didn’t trust in their word.