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Yerevan police chief denies charges of inactivity

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  • Yerevan police chief denies charges of inactivity

    ArmenPress
    April 6 2004

    YEREVAN POLICE CHIEF DENIES CHARGES OF INACTIVITY

    YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS: A senior police officer denied today
    opposition's accusations that the police did not prevent attacks of a
    group of sturdily-built young men, most of them with shaven heads, on
    journalists smashing their cameras and knocking them off their feet
    at a Monday rally in central Yerevan, organized by Artashes
    Geghamian's National Unity.
    Chief of Yerevan police department, Nerses Nazarian, told a group
    of journalists that "as usual, the police took all measures to
    maintain order."
    Nazarian argued that the violence occurred 15 minutes before the
    rally started, following Geghamian's requests that the demonstrators
    should gather near Nairi cinema house, as a hillside near Matenadaran
    depository of old manuscripts, the planned venue of the protest
    action, was occupied by police. Nazarian said the movement of
    participants raised the indignation of nearby houses' residents and
    owners of shops, who "were dragged into the rally against their
    will," disrupting also the traffic.
    He also said police officers were instructed to interfere only in
    case of real threats to exclude offensive language and curse directed
    at them. The police chief said the fistfight was prompted by
    disagreements among participants of the rally. Nazarian said police
    will investigate into the reported instances of violence and admitted
    also that scores of people, participating in opposition's rallies,
    whom he described as "aggressive", were summoned to police to be
    explained that their demeanor poses threat to public order.
    Nazarian said all those participants of future rallies who will
    violate public law will be detained and punished in line with law.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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