The day of the Pope’s Divine Mass in Vardanants Square in Gyumri, the police seeing Shahen Harutyunyan standing in a queue in Shahumyan Street to enter the square detained him. According to Shahen Harutyunyan, the reason was allegedly he had disobeyed the lawful demands of the police, i.e. crosses the traffic zone. Note that 16 streets adjacent to the Gyumri square were closed and the traffic was stopped. However, after the Pope’s visit, Shahen Harutyunyan was released. Shahen Harutyunyan told that he had a poster under his T-shirt that read, “Freedom to Shant Harutyunyan and all political prisoners.” In other words, this was what he wanted to say to the Pope.
Aravot.am asked Shahen Harutyunyan what information he disposes of and whether his protest has reached the Pope that there are political prisoners in Armenia. “They say that it has reached the Pope, although during the three years of my protesting, my practice showed that I must see with my own eyes to believe but they reason it as follows that an official person, moreover, the Pope, prior to visiting any country, he studies the political, social and all situations of the given country. In addition, he is reported if an event occurs associated with him in the given country. My photo was broadcast over television with the police message that they had noticed a suspicious thing with him and have arrested him given his criminal behavior in the past and the intolerant situation against the police officer. In my case, I was on Public TV and other TV channels, how can this information not get to the Pope, this is what they substantiate, this event is associated with the Pope. I must say that this time I had come to Gyumri alone, I got up in the morning, examined the area very quickly and in fact I went to the exact street from where the Pope passed by me in the distance of 9-10 meters, I was unable to do anything, his car was driving very slow in the distance of some 10 meters. I was in the car, if this car had a back door I could have opened it, maybe even breaking, and would come out, reach him and say what I wanted but the car had two doors and there were people in front of it,” – said Shahen Harutyunyan. He said that after this incident, the police in a very “friendly” way have told him that he no longer can participate in any formal and public event, even in the case of having an invitation and buying a ticket.
Nune AREVSHATYAN
