“I was on working duty on March 1st, and I did not see any weapons or ammunition, although all of us did see wood,” Police Chief of the Republic of Armenia Valery Osipyan said in an interview with reporters after the government session. He was answering the question of whether or not he saw weapons or ammunition among protestors or underneath benches during his shift on March 1st.
A new criminal case has been opened by the Special Investigation Service regarding the events of March 1st and 2nd. “… at least 1,300 officers from several police departments violently dispersed peaceful protestors carrying out a sit-down strike and protestors who gathered in the city center, they used violence and special means to force protestors away from the city square…”
In connection to this, Valery Osipyan said, “There are police who were serving in different departments on March 1st, but that does not mean that everyone is to be held responsible or that they all will be held responsible.”
Mass protests were held in Armenia, after presidential elections on 2008. The protests were organized by the supporters of the First President of Republic of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian. During the protest held on March 1, 2008, clashes broke out between police and protesters. President Robert Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency.
Nelly Babayan
