Epress.am News from Armenia
Luc Wadewale, a Belgian citizen residing in Armenia who has attended rallies organized by the Armenian National Congress (HAK), was arrested in Yerevan at noon on Monday.
Wadewale’s wife, Gayane Vardanyan, who is a HAK member, told Epress.am what happened. According to her, the couple yesterday received a call from their daughter’s classmate’s parent who said that they are collecting 3,000 drams (about $8 USD) each for heating at the school.
“We went to see the principal, who, as usual, wasn’t there. We spoke with the vice-principal, wanting to know why there’s no heating and why the parents have to pay for it. The vice-principal complained that the state is not funding them. We called the Education Ministry’s hotline where they told us that the school has no right to collect money and we asked that they send someone to this school, but this never happened,” said Vardanyan.
According to her, a verbal altercation erupted between the vice-principal and several teachers on this matter. At this point, insists Vardanyan, her husband accidentally bumped into a portrait of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the wall that subsequently fell and the glass broke.
“They threatened to call the police. When we came home, about 15 police officers came after us. Then they took us both to the police station. After keeping me for 5–6 hours, they let me go, but they’re not releasing my husband. The investigator told me that he’s arrested. They’re not even letting an interpreter in to see him for my husband to understand why they’re keeping him,” she said.
Over two hours later (just before 9 pm on Monday), Vardanyan informed Epress.am that her husband is being charged with RA Criminal Code Article 258 (“hooliganism”) Section 3 Paragraph 1 and 2 (“an act committed by a group or persons or organized group” and “by offering resistance to a representative of the authorities, or a person carrying out a duty of public order protection or a person preventing breach of public order”).
Through his attorney, Wadewale informed his wife that for 7–8 hours he was without an interpreter and was not even given a glass of water. He has since been moved to a holding cell for detainees.