In Armenia, advocate of detained oppositionist accuses police of violence

On April 13, in Armenia, Givi Ovannisyan, advocate of Ashot Tadevosyan, a former law enforcer, who was detained for "insulting a policeman" and "resisting a power representative", told journalists that violence was used to his client. Now Tadevosyan, according to his advocate, needs a medical examination.

According to the law, after 72 hours of detention, Tadevosyan should be either released, or the police should confirm the presented charges. "My client offended nobody. He thinks that he was arrested for his political views," said Mr Ovannisyan. He has also reminded that during mass protest actions in 2008 Ashot Tadevosyan demonstratively tore his policeman's ID.

Let us note here that Ashot Tadevosyan was the only of all the persons detained these days in the Northern Avenue of Yerevan who was kept in custody.

On April 8-10, protest actions were held near the Northern Avenue dated to the anniversary of Serzh Sargsyan's inauguration. On the first day, the police, giving no explanations as to the reasons why they had blocked the Northern Avenue, forced 10 persons to the police station, and on the second and third day several more persons were detained, mostly young men.