26 October 2007, 13:11
10 oppositionists accused of resisting police in Armenia
In Armenia, editors-in-chief of oppositional newspapers "Aikakan Zhamanak" (Armenian Time) and "Chorord Ishkhanutyun" (Fourth Power) Nikol Pashinyan and Shoger Matevosyan are suspected under the articles of hooliganism and rendering resistance to the police. Also, Petros Makeyan, chairman of the "Democratic Homeland" Party, and other oppositionists, ten persons in total, have also been attracted as suspects under the above articles.
Journalists were informed about it by Major General Nerses Nazaryan, head of the Yerevan Department of Armenian Police.
He has disagreed with the opinion that the march in Yerevan was of peaceful character. The General has informed that as a result of collisions four policemen received bodily injuries.
Raffi Ovannisyan, chairman of the "Zharangutyun" (Heritage) opposition party and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, has stated that the actions of the police on October 23 against peaceful demonstrators were another demonstration of the disorder reigning in the country where the fundamental constitutional rights of citizens are violated.
Larissa Alaverdyan, a deputy of the National Assembly and former Human Rights Defender, has expressed her confidence that the criminal case should be initiated not against the demonstrators but, first of all, against the policemen who had used violence to the people who were just notifying the population about the forthcoming meeting.
Author: Ashot Ter-Grigorian, CK correspondent
