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Protester sentenced in Armenia for hitting policeman with bottle
Associated Press Worldstream
May 27, 2004 Thursday
YEREVAN, Armenia -- A court in Armenia on Thursday convicted a man
who hit a police officer with a plastic bottle during an opposition
protest last month that was forcefully broken up by authorities and
sentenced him to 18 months in prison.
Edgar Arakelian was found guilty of using violence against a
representative of the authorities. He was tried after televised footage
showed him hitting an officer in the head with a water bottle during
a protest outside parliament that was dispersed by police on April 13.
Arakelian pleaded guilty but said he had not been aware that he was
hitting a law enforcement officer and that he delivered the blow by
instinct because police were using tear gas and had hit him in the
head with a truncheon.
The police officer Arakelian struck urged leniency, while prosecutors
requested a sentence of 2 1/2 years. Arakelian's lawyer said he would
appeal the decision.
Opposition parties have held a series of large rallies since early
spring, calling for the resignation of President Robert Kocharian.
Opposition leaders are also boycotting sessions of the former Soviet
republic's parliament and calling for the release of what they say
are at least 13 political prisoners.
Kocharian won a second term in presidential elections a year ago
that sparked an initial wave of mass protests, including near-daily
demonstrations for the weeks between the two rounds of voting.
Opposition groups alleged widespread violations in both rounds of
the election, which was followed by a parliamentary ballot in which
the pro-government party won the most votes.
Associated Press Worldstream
May 27, 2004 Thursday
YEREVAN, Armenia -- A court in Armenia on Thursday convicted a man
who hit a police officer with a plastic bottle during an opposition
protest last month that was forcefully broken up by authorities and
sentenced him to 18 months in prison.
Edgar Arakelian was found guilty of using violence against a
representative of the authorities. He was tried after televised footage
showed him hitting an officer in the head with a water bottle during
a protest outside parliament that was dispersed by police on April 13.
Arakelian pleaded guilty but said he had not been aware that he was
hitting a law enforcement officer and that he delivered the blow by
instinct because police were using tear gas and had hit him in the
head with a truncheon.
The police officer Arakelian struck urged leniency, while prosecutors
requested a sentence of 2 1/2 years. Arakelian's lawyer said he would
appeal the decision.
Opposition parties have held a series of large rallies since early
spring, calling for the resignation of President Robert Kocharian.
Opposition leaders are also boycotting sessions of the former Soviet
republic's parliament and calling for the release of what they say
are at least 13 political prisoners.
Kocharian won a second term in presidential elections a year ago
that sparked an initial wave of mass protests, including near-daily
demonstrations for the weeks between the two rounds of voting.
Opposition groups alleged widespread violations in both rounds of
the election, which was followed by a parliamentary ballot in which
the pro-government party won the most votes.