Epress.am News from Armenia
Since 8 am, the roads leading from Ashtarak to Yerevan have been supervised by not only road police, but also regional (marz) police. They have been stopping vehicles and buses and asking people to get out, saying that they can’t go to Yerevan today, said Armenian National Congress (HAK) representative Vardan Malkhasyan, speaking to Epress.am today ahead of HAK’s organized rally at 8 pm in Yerevan’s Liberty Square.
“The [Ashtarak-Yerevan] roads have been under total supervision by the police since the morning — even students are prohibited from going to Yerevan. My daughter was also on the student bus which was stopped by police. When she asked why they are being prohibited from going to Yerevan, police officers said going to Yerevan is not allowed today. My daughter said they are violating the country’s Constitution, and cited the law — each person has the right to free movement. My daughter also said she will call me and journalists, so they go and record how police are tyrannizing [the people]. They, the students, got off the bus and decided to come to Yerevan by foot. These police officers gave them room and when the kids walked half a kilometer, the same bus went, picked them up and took them to Yerevan,” said Malkhasyan.
According to the HAK representative, that bus is the only one that made it to the Armenian capital; the rest apparently were stopped and made to turn back.
“”They are tyrannizing on our Constitution; they’re not police, but Turks. We shouldn’t allow them to continue their activities,” he continued.
The Ujan village roads in Ashtarak region are also being monitored by police, Malkhasyan added.