Today, at the moment of 14:15, Armen Grigoryan (TIAC’s Project Coordinator, Political Analyst and member of the initiative “Reject Serzh”) was taken into custody and detained by RA Special Investigative Service on the ground for suspicions of committing crimes stipulated under parts 1 and 2 of article 225 (Mass turmoil) and part 1 of article 225.1 (Organization and conduct of public gatherings in violation of order stipulated by law) of RA Criminal Code. According to the received information, Levon Barseghyan (TIAC partner and President of “Asparez” Journalist’s Club) today, around 17:20, has been taken into custody from Gyumri City’s station and is being transported to Special Investigative Service. The RA Police has confirmed this information. However, at the moment of 21:30, there were no news in regard to Levon Barseghyan’s whereabouts.

The Board of the “Transparency International Anticorruption Centre” NGO (TIAC) strongly condemns unlawfulness of deprivation of liberty of Armen Grigoryan and Levon Barseghyan and raises its concerns that in this way the authorities attempt to weaken unprecedent level of protests. The violent response of police and exercised violence by RA Police are unacceptable and are subject to strong condemnation.

The participation in peaceful protests and their organisation is a fundamental constitutional right of every person guaranteed under article 44 of RA Constitution, which is being violated in a groundless manner by police forces during these days, and sometimes that right is being violated by unidentified persons in civic uniform with driving cars without nameplates and at the same time being accompanied by violent beatings and massively bringing to police stations of persons. The abovementioned activities, which are full of violence are being exercised even against adolescents. It is worth to mention that representatives of criminal-oligarchic system, including former and current MP-s of the National Assembly are taking part in the aforementioned illegalities, about which there are abundant number of video materials in the media.

Taking into consideration the abovementioned, we demand that:

  • Armen Grigoryan, Levon Barseghyan and other detainees be released without any further delay;
  • unnecessarily bringing participants of peaceful pickets to police stations and violence against them be stopped.

Board of “Transparency International Anticorruption Center” PO