03:07, 3 November 2016

In Yerevan, rally in support of arrested activists attended by 30 people

Protest rally in Yerevan, July 20, 2016. Photo by Tigran Petrosyan for the 'Caucasian Knot'.

In the evening of November 2, relatives of three activists, arrested after the clash with the police on July 20 inKhorenatsi Street, have held a protest action in front of the presidential residence. They demanded to clear their family members from charges, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

On July 19, in Yerevan, the police clashed with activists while protesters tried to enter the territory of the seized police regiment building. According to eyewitnesses, from direction of the Yerevan district of Sari Tag, a group of people tried to break through to the seized police building, and when the police blocked their way, they began throwing stones at policemen. Later, four residents of Sari Tag, including Arutyun Torosyan, Grair Isakhanyan, Eduard Zeitounyan, and Andranik Keseyan, were charged under Part 2 of Article 316 of the Armenian Criminal Code (use of violence against a public official).

The protest action was attended by relatives of Arsen Mkrtumyan, Gagik Mikaelyan, and Soso Margaryan. In their hands, they were holding posters reading: "Free young people who create the future", "We hope to meet the President for five minutes", and "Freedom to young people who stopped bloodshed!"

According to the court information portal "Datalex.am", Arsen Mkrtumyan, Gagik Mikaelyan, and Soso Margaryan are accused of using violence against public officials, combined with destruction of property. According to investigators, during the riots, the activists were throwing stones at policemen.

The protesters have claimed that the case has been fabricated. "How could three activists inflict harm to 46 policemen?" asks Anait Pogosyan, the mother of Gagik Mikaelyan.

According to the father of one of the activists, the photos from the place of the riots show his son kicking a shield of a policeman, and he faces up to eight years of imprisonment for that. "On the same day, policemen were kicking an activist fallen on the asphalt. However, no police officer has been brought to justice," noted the man.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Armine Martirosyan

Source: CK correspondent