In Armenia, journalist accuses prosecutor of beating him

The Special Investigatory Service of Armenia conducts investigation at the complaint of journalist Ruben Grdzelyan about his beating by Movses Manrikyan, the prosecutor on supervision over the lawfulness of investigation in the Kotaik Region.

Ruben Grdzelyan, the editor of the Yerevan Office of the IA "Regnum", reported that the incident occurred on May 12 at about 11:00 p.m. Moscow time, when he with his mother, two minor children, his nephew and pregnant wife went for an evening walk. The journalist had a conflict with a group of persons, among whom, as he learned later, was Movses Manrikyan, the prosecutor on supervision over the lawfulness of investigation in the Kotaik Region of Armenia.

According to the journalist, the incident started with a sharp reaction of the prosecutor to the fact that the children disturbed a car, departing from a yard, in which, presumably, the son of Manrikyan was present. According Ruben Grdzelyan, the prosecutor entered into a squabble with the journalist and then struck him. The editor struck him in return. After that, according to the journalist, he was attacked by four persons Movses Manrikyan himself, his son, and two accompanying persons. They knocked Tuben Grdzelyan on the ground and beat him until he lost consciousness.

The journalist got multiple head injuries; he got injuries of his face, and his eye was damaged. When Ruben Grdzelyan regained consciousness after the beating, he went to the police station and filed a complaint; then he underwent medical examination and documented numerous beatings, the "Gazeta.ru" reports.

According to the journalist, at the time of filing his complaint, he was not aware that there was the top-ranking law enforcement officer among the allegedly drunken persons, who beat him. "I treat that act of the officer, who is to respect the law, as hooliganism," the "Panorama" quotes the journalist as saying.

At the order of the General Prosecutor of the country, the materials on the incident were brought to the Special Investigatory Service. This was reported on May 14 by Sona Truzyan, Spokesperson of the General Prosecutor of Armenia.

"The Special Investigatory Service was instructed to take necessary measures to reveal all the details of the incident, resulting from the domestic dispute and, if necessary, to give an adequate criminal and legal assessment of acts committed by each person," the IA "Novosti-Armenia" quotes Sona Truzyan as saying.