Today protesters in Vanadzor attacked the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, threw eggs and stones, broke the office windows, then intruded into the office and pulling workers around, used impolite language toward them. As a result, the leg of a worker was injured.
Police officers watched the protesters’ actions from far.
Residents of Vanadzor, chanting “Traitors, shame on you, Turks,” called on the office management not to show the Azerbaijani movies initiated by Caucasus Center of Peacemaking Initiatives.
Read also
The protesters didn’t calm down, even when office manager Artur Sakunts stated that Georgi Vanyan had suspended showing the movies. They demanded not to show the movies at all.
Considering the workers’ security, the office manager stated that movies wouldn’t be shown in the office.
“I assess the attitude of the police as omission. Here the organized pressure of GONGOs and institutions controlled by the government is obvious. The possibility of the freedom to express one’s opinion is disrupted among us and we don’t put forward arguments against that opinion, but we use force. There can be no rule of law in this way,” said Artur Sakunts.
The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office has sent a letter to the Vanadzor police to guarantee the security of the organization’s activities and workers.
Anush BULGHADARYAN
Vanadzor
