Yerevan: activists of "Million Mask March" demand to re-qualify the charge

The court of the first instance of the general jurisdiction of the administrative districts Kentron-Nork-Marash, which is considering the case of Shant Arutyunyan, the leader of the "Tsegakron" Party, and other participants of the action held on November 5, 2013, has questioned five prosecution witnesses – policemen. The defendants demanded to re-qualify their indicted article of "hooliganism" into the article of "use of violence against a power agent".

The witness Armen Barsegyan, who was questioned at the session on August 23, told how he detained citizens, who, in his words, "would not obey to his rightful demand." He also noted that he saw participants of the action beating a man in civilian clothes; however, he did not see any violence applied by activists to policemen in uniform.

In his words, he "did not see any of the activists demonstrate disrespect to the public, in particular, scolding and shouting."

The policeman Gurgen Arutyunyan said that he personally approached activists and asked them to free the roadway, but he "did not remember to express the demand to any of the detainees."

The advocate Inessa Petrosyan said that activists did nothing to be qualified as hooliganism, but only tried to protect themselves from provocateurs.

Avetis Avetisyan made a statement that they, as well as activists' family are exposed to pressure. In his turn, Armen Ovannisyan called himself a political prisoner who is kept behind bars for 10 months.

The next court session is scheduled for August 27.