Gyumri Police ‘Terrorizing’ Drivers Who Cooperate with HAK, Asserts HAK Representative

Since Sept. 28, Gyumri police have been terrorizing all those drivers who cooperate with the Armenian National Congress (HAK), said head of the HAK’s Gyumri branch Ashot Zakaryan.

“All the drivers were called into the police station; they were terrorized and warned not to take any passengers to the rally [today]. And if they do, they will have problems with the authorities, with the tax office and the police. They even took down the plates of some of the drivers’ cars. They also terrorized individual drivers [i.e. those not working for a private taxi company] so that they too don’t take anyone to the rally,” said Zakaryan.

According to him, the chiefs and deputy chiefs of the Shirak marz (province) police, as well as the police of the city of Gyumri, are behind this campaign.

“Every time they try to obstruct our movement, but we have always made it to Yerevan. This time too we will participate [in the rally] — in greater numbers. We will find alternative routes to participate in the rally absolutely,” said Zakaryan, who added that he heard that not only the National Security Service and the police, but also the military police are behind these acts of terrorizing the drivers — which, Zakaryan, found surprising.

“What they’re doing is illegal and one day they will have to answer for this — both those giving the orders and those carrying them out. We know individual first and last names, the department chiefs too and the deputy chiefs, and the inspectors who have been taking preventative measures with the drivers. Everyone will answer for this,” said the HAK representative.