As a former deputy chief of police, Armen Yeritsyan, the Rule of Law Party (RLP) candidate for mayor, thinks that the actions taken by the police on April 9 were in accordance with the law. In response to our question whether beating Armen Martirosyan was also in accordance with the law, Mr. Yeritsyan said: “Police officers’ actions were in accordance with the law, but in my opinion, it is not appropriate for a lawyer to give an assessment, not knowing all the details. One should examine and find out what transpired there. All of us should submit to the police officer.” Mr. Yeritsyan doesn’t think that on April 9, police officers gave way to the brutality and the “old tradition” of 2008. “No, no. We should protect police officers; we should do all that is necessary, so that police officers protect us afterwards. Every one of us criticizes, because police officers are a punitive body; that is why many people don’t like them.” Mr. Yeritsyan stressed several times that he didn’t know the details of the events of April 9 and couldn’t give assessments.
Arpine SIMONYAN
