Protesters clash with police in Armenia

On January 16, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, at about 1 p.m. local time, in the Arshakunyants Avenue, a clash burst out between police units and participants of the protest action who rallied near the court building, where a session on the "Case of Seven" was held.

Immediately after the session of the court of general jurisdiction of the community Shengavit several dozens of policemen from the special regiment called "Crimson Berets" and patrol-sentry service began applying violence against the people who had rallied near the court building. The aim of the police was not to admit the pre-planned march to the building of the State Office of Public Prosecutor. The operation was conducted under direction of Colonel Robert Melkonyan, commander of the patrol-sentry police.

The people who wanted to march in direction of the Prosecutor's Office were surrounded by policemen who started beating them. Women and elderly persons were among the victims.

The clash lasted for about an hour. The policeman who split the crowd into three parts managed to separate people from each other and cut communication between them. Gradually, the participants of the action dispersed.

The session on the "Case of Seven" was short and postponed till January 30. Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan who is presiding over the litigation motivated his decision by defendants' exhibited disrespect for the court.

Again, same as before, in the beginning of the session, seven activists of the opposition who are figurants in the "Case of Seven" did not stand up at the entrance of the Judge into the courtroom and refused to obey to the command "Up with you! Court is here!"

Let us remind you that during the court session on January 13 one of the prosecutors in the "Case of Seven" Koryun Piloyan stated that the defence was protracting the process and tries to escape the judicial consideration of the case. The Public Prosecutor has warned that should this tactics continue he will address the court with a petition to continue the litigation without the defendants. Judge Martirosyan has made a decision to remove all of them out of the courtroom.