Armenian policeman accused of detaining journalist for no reason

On April 20, Arsen Arzumanyan, the head of the Kotayk City Police, hampered the work of journalist Tirair Muradyan, who covered the action of Nikol Pashinyan's supporters, investigators have stated today.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 20, policemen detained Tirair Muradyan, a journalist of the "Union of Informed Citizens", who covered the activists' protest in the Yerevan-Abovyan highway section. At the direction of a police officer, law enforcers in civilian clothes forced Muradyan into a civilian car, despite his statements that he is a journalist. Muradyan said that he was taken to Abovyan and sent from there to Yerevan by taxi.

According to investigators, Arsen Arzumanyan, the head of the Kotayk City Police, tried to take the mobile phone away from the journalist, and then ordered to take him away from the venue of the protest action. Colonel Arzumanyan is charged under Part 2, Article 164, of the Criminal Code of Armenia (impeding the lawful professional activities of a journalist), the Special Investigating Service of Armenia has reported on its website today.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the press service of the Armenian Police that Arsen Arzumanyan's powers are suspended.

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