Recently, RA Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan receiving the U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Heffern, referred to civil actions, and the relationship between activists and police during the civil actions. In his turn, John Heffern noted that he is aware of the situation and said that during the civil actions, the RA police officers have demonstrated tolerance and did not apply force.
To the question of Aravot.am whether you agrees with the opinion of John Heffern, one of the activists gathered in front of the City Hall, David Gevorgyan first said that he does not understand the words of the Chief Police a little bit, in addition, “Mr. Osipyan’s statement a few days ago, particularly to the fact that the police from now on will only act entirely by the law. In other words, what did they tolerate, did people break the law that they have tolerated, or a part of policemen has violated the law, and the others part has tolerated. I can not understand the tolerance of this policemen, I do not know how their tolerance was expressed. Did the activists break the law, and they have tolerated? When? And what was the violation of the law, or whether we have violated the law, and whether it is a violation of the law to put a foot on the stairs of the City Hall, and is it a reason to apprehend, and a report is written that as if we have blocked the road at the moment”.
To our observation that, in fact, you do not share the opinion of the U.S. Ambassador that the policemen were tolerant, and did not use force, David Gevorgyan was surprised,- “They did not apply force? During the similar well-known cases on Komitas 5 everything was video recorded, I think these videos are more reliable than the U.S. Ambassador’s statements.” To our question, maybe the ambassador was not informed, David Gevorgyan said,- “I do not think that the U.S. Ambassador was not aware of what is going on in the capital of a country, where his residence is, he is appointed… the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia doesn’t know what is going on in the hottest part of the capital, I do not believe.”
Eva HAKOBYAN
